Some feedback about last month's requests:

• School Work - The construction work went well and the team from Canada was great! They kept a blog about the prep for their trip and for part of the trip (didn't get finished as of this writing). Check it out here: http://saymissions.blogspot.com/. Noah seemed to really enjoy his time with them. Meanwhile, I managed to make some significant changes to our firewall and web filtering structure at school. I'm pleased with what's been accomplished. It positions us better for managing several things in the school's computer network.

• Church Work Week - What a cool week! In the mornings we worshiped and in the afternoons we worked. We led worship 3 of the 5 mornings and really felt bathed in the presence of God each morning. We were with another couple consistently and a handful of different people each day. This couple we were with are tremendous worshipers and really model the different ways people can enter into God's presence. Very freeing! For the work part, I was finally able to clean and repair a significant quantity of audio cables from the school fete. This was a growing pile of soldering and testing work that I don't enjoy and at which I'm not very good. But, I succeeded in getting all that knocked out and others made good progress in installing a couple of toilets and doors near our worship hall. It wasn't a huge army of people but it felt good to make progress on different fronts and to work and worship together with others.

• Olivia's Stateside Trip - I imagine that Angela will write more about this and I'm sure that the impact of this trip on Olivia will be seen gradually over a long time. She had a rich time with family connections. She re-connected with America and that part of her identity. She had tons of experiences to solidify her confidence and ability to independently navigate in the wider world. Best of all she's back safe and sound and really glad to be home!

• Family Camp Prep - Many more ideas have been solidified and this week is the final planning/rehearsing week.

• Family Camp - With Olivia home, we finally bring our prep together this week. The camp starts Sunday evening the 8th. You can see info about the camp here: http://www.intouchcamps.net/?p=65. We are taking a friend of Olivia's with us as well. One concern we have is us all getting there in our car and how hot it might be. We can only barely fit 5 and we have no A/C and it's a 5-hour car ride. We've tried borrowing a car from a friend but can't be insured for it. Renting is out of our price range at the moment. Please pray for a solution for the car or a big dose of grace to handle the trip! Pray for our prep time this week and especially the grace to help families worship together next week!

• School Work - The construction work that was advanced by the Canadian team still needs some finishing touches to be ready for the first day of school. Additionally, I have some annual tasks remaining to prepare the computers and network for the school year. Please pray for the finances and volunteers for the school to get the construction work further along so that facilities will be usable at the beginning of September. Pray also that in the 3rd week of August, I can finish the annual prep as that's my only window to do so.

• Back to School Prep - Noah returns to BFA the 23rd and Olivia the following week. Angela has a lot to do to get both those kids ready and also has a short window in which to do it when we return from camp. Additionally I'll have the car the last week of August so her mobility will depend on coordinating car usage with others. Please pray for Angela's strength and logistical grace to get the kids ready for this next school year.

• YWAM National Conference - The last week in August I return to where we're having the family camp to attend the annual YWAM France Staff Conference. I'll be helping a friend lead worship as well this year. This is a time when the Lord often gives vision or a message to the ministry as a whole and a time where relationships are knit together. Please pray for the Spirit to move during this gathering of YWAM France staff and that our hearts would be attentive to His direction for the ministry. Pray for the worship times to be instrumental in softening our hearts and bringing us into deeper intimacy with the Lord.

• House Work - The long saga of our house and the need for renovation of many different parts and how it involves our neighbors has been a repeated topic in these prayer bulletins. I'm happy to say that we finally have plans and a rough estimate, drawn up by a carpenter friend of ours, for how to move forward in correcting the problem with our toilet (and thus, our neighbors...this search of our site will give you the gory details) and shifting things in a way that opens up our house to more possibilities...especially in our huge unfinished attic. It isn't everything that needs to be done, but it's the first time that things have gone past talk and good ideas. I was also able to do some computer work for this guy in exchange for the plans. At this point, we need a more detailed step-by-step work plan and solid material estimates. With that we can convene a small team of friends, led by this carpenter, to actually plan when to do this work (I'd like to see it happen in the next 6 months). At that point, we'll need to come up with the money for the materials and can probably pay our carpenter friend in installments for his labor...and hopefully contribute our own efforts as well. I hope this team meeting could happen this month or in September. Please pray for our friend to have the time to complete the detailed estimate and also for the finances to begin to acquire the material.

Thank you!
David