Dear friends:

       Here in Lancaster, PA, we are enjoying one of the longest Indian summers (now why that name?) on record with temperatures in the 80s well into October. We aren't complaining! The weather has proved a beautiful backdrop to six successive weeks of company. Our oldest son Michael and his fiancée Jessie were here for ten days, overlapping with third son Steve, who finished his Navy A school medic training as valedictorian. After two weeks leave, he is now in Portsmouth, VA, attending Psych School, a more advanced C level navy medic training course (for those wanting to drop Steve a line, his new address is below). Then Marty's parents arrived for their 50th anniversary trip, overlapping for a few days at least with Steve. Despite a busy season going on at the same time with BCM, conference speaking and writers deadlines, we had a wonderful time with family, followed by a visit these last two weeks by close personal friends, a pastor and his wife from one of our supporting churches in Portland, OR.  They leave tomorrow, and so does Marty.

        Marty heads tomorrow for two weeks in the UK and Eastern Europe. He will be first in Ireland, where BCM is negotiating the possibility of a new camp property, then heads to England for a few days. From there he heads to Poland where the BCM Europe Conference begins next Saturday. This is held every two years, bringing together BCM missionaries and leadership from the UK, Western Europe and Eastern Europe for a full week of fellowship, strategy planning, leadership, etc. Others from the IMC (International Ministry Center) here in PA will be joining Marty there, including our journalism intern Chris Martin, who will be covering the conference and interviewing ministries for BCM Media. Speaking of which, DO check out our Western Europe issue of BCM World, on-line now at www.bcmintl.org to get acquainted with the ministry fields we traveled this last summer.

        Directly following the BCM Europe conference, Marty will be spending three days with key BCM Europe leadership in an event called LEADS (Leadership Enrichment and Assessment for Development of Servant Skills, an effort to enrich current leadership, assess future leadership, and create a transition between the two.

    We would ask prayer for the following:

1. Travel and luggage connections for Marty and the team.

2. A spirit of unity, fellowship, and wise decision-making in looking to the future of BCM in Europe and around the world, both during the conference and LEADS event.

3. The IMC has been in major organizational and financial restructuring recently. Pray for great wisdom for Marty and all the leadership in decisions that must be made and for a spirit of unity and love in carrying them out.

 

STEVE'S ADDRESS: HR Stephen Windle, NSHS Psych School, 1001 Holcomb Ave, Portsmouth, VA 2370