Family In, Family Out

Our son, Kevin, and his wife, Ramona, resigned their jobs in States back in July to fly out here. They helped us with our work a couple of months then moved to Bangkok where they studied Thai and worked with Carl and Karen Groot in the Abundant Life Center. Then in November they re-joined us for the holiday season while they prayed, applied for jobs, and waited. If God didn't open up work for them (paying jobs!) they were prepared to return to the States and enter graduate school.






But he did! Both of them have now taken positions in a Christian-owned business in Vientiane, moved into a new house, and bought a scooter for transportation. Now, with a few weeks of work under their belts, they seem totally jazzed about the new direction God has led them in! We're thankful, too, that we will be able to see them much more often.

During their last days with us, we had a return visit from Doug Carter, a Canadian mechanic who worked with us for 10 days last year. This time he brought his wife, Dorothy. For another 10 days they helped us with various jobs we had going over at the mill and elsewhere.

Next, Ruthie's mother arrived for a three-month visit. Mary Jo McCurry and Ruthie McCurry (Dutton), as they say, are 'peas-in-a-pod'. So my blessing is doubled these days. At 83, Mom McCurry is amazingly strong. Though she deals with constant pain in her back from degenerative disks, she remains cheerful and witty as always.





Thank you, Lord, for new graces for this new year!

New Wrinkles in the Mill

Just before Christmas and the arrival of the CHIC group, we worked very hard to finish last details in the construction of the mill and make samples of the various products we hope to produce. All this was to meet a deadline for submitting bids to the Thai Burmese Border Consortium. I flew to Bangkok and turned in our bid and samples a few hours before the deadline. I also visited the World Food Program hoping they were in a buying mood.

With Wessel out of the loop ( for obvious reasons) I was more than a little stressed. After a couple of weeks we got word: our samples passed the lab tests for nutrition and sanitation quality, our price was right, but we did not have the licenses the Consortium requires of a food mill--GMP, Halal, HACCP. We had hoped they might overlook that fact since we are working hard on getting those licenses. Nothing doing. We were told we need to get those licenses before they will consider us. We were told, also, that the WFP has no plans, at present, to place any orders in this region.

Hmmph. Discouragement, deflation. But then, somewhere, one day in January, after Wessel's wedding, God lifted the blanket of gloom. I don't remember the exact date, but I remember the day: Suddenly, I knew it was going to be okay. God hasn't brought us this far to leave us hanging out here with a mill all ready to produce food but no orders to merit turning on those 100 horsepower motors.

So, that's where we are at: doggedly knocking things off the list of things we have to do to bring our mill up to international food standards--signs, SOP's (standard operating procedures), bathrooms, changing rooms, uniforms,etc. etc. Our official opening ceremony is scheduled for March 5. Hopefully, much of this will be done before then.