Update/Prayer Letter

I’ve decided that it’s time that I start sending out update/prayer newsletters on a regular basis. I am, after all, planning to become a missionary. In fact, I think the sooner I figure out how to start raising support and the sooner I join a mission’s organization, the better. I’ll probably start applying to SIL soon because the organization that my boyfriend, B, works for, NPMTTA (Northern Philippines Mother Tongue Translation Association), is part of SIL, and would probably know what to do with us.

I’ll probably be moving out of my current apartment in April or May, and moving in with some of the other Applied Linguistics students because I thought it would be good for me to live with Filipino students, mainly because I want to learn the culture and language. Most of the people that I’ll probably be living with work as Mother Tongue Translators for NPMTTA. Please pray that if I do move in with them, it will be a situation that God put together, and not something that I thought of and made happen. I sometimes have trouble waiting for God’s direction and peace, and then end up wondering if what I did was really from Him. Not knowing if I’m doing the right thing can be very stressful, especially since I tend to be a person who second guesses my decisions.

I don’t want to add stress to my life because I’ve been getting sick almost every few weeks since I arrived in the Philippines almost eleven months ago. I’ve also developed something that the dermatologist thinks is “Schambergs Disease,” a harmless bunch of reddish brown patches on one of my legs, which might not go away for a few years. There’s not much known about them. I also seem to have developed some mild gout. It can be controlled by avoiding certain foods, but I think it’s very strange that I would develop it at my age, especially since it usually only affects men. I also spent several days feeling very lightheaded, and suspect that I might have become anemic. I’m planning to visit another doctor this week or next week because one of the other international students here knows of some doctors who are good at diagnosing people, unlike the doctors I’ve been seeing. Please pray for my health and healing. I believe that God can heal me through His grace.

The semester here is almost over. I’ve been taking Greek 3&4 in one 6 credit class, as well as Old Testament Prophets and Personal and Spiritual Formation. In May, I’ll be starting the Applied Linguistics classes which were cancelled this last year. It must have been through God’s provision that the classes were cancelled because that was the reason B invited me to the province for the first month I was here, allowing us to get to know each other. It’s a great blessing that God brought us together.

I’m looking forward to going to the province this weekend to go to a village and attend the 40th day of one of B's relatives deaths, and will get to meet many more of his relatives there.
Thank you for your prayers. I hope my letter wasn’t too depressing. I’m sure I’ll have a lot more interesting things to talk about next time, but for now, it’s the end of the semester and I must finish my assignments.