August 9, 2007

Yes, hazy, not and humid describe our weather in Central Virginia and much of the rest of our country.everyone needs sunscreen The dog days of summer are upon us. With temperatures in the triple digits, I am thankful for air-conditioning. Whatever our electric bill, I have it on and am staying inside as much as possible. We walk early in the morning when it is not so hot. All too soon we will long for warmer days when autumn and winter arrive.

While in town, we are planning our next trip out of the country. Flight reservations have just been made for Vietnam in October. Our friend, “Dr. Wally,” will be accompanying us to speak in a university while we make arrangements for medical clinics next year as well as other ongoing projects. Our trips take much planning in order to anticipate our needs as we try to minister to others. Transportation, translation, connecting with our contacts, lodging and food are some of the things that need to be addressed as we go and take others with us to help in various areas. Now, we are collecting school supplies and coloring books for the children’s homes and money for the parents of children in the cancer hospital who must leave their work to provide basic nursing care for their children.

While making plans to go to Vietnam, we also have other activities going here in the U.S. We will attend a friend’s 50th wedding anniversary and another friend’s 100th birthday celebrations this week. Next week we will fly to Chicago and catch a bus to Rockford to mark the 25th anniversary of our successor. We are looking forward to these events that remind us of the blessings of the faithful.

In the meantime, we hope you friends can take it relatively easy, drink plenty of water and stay cool.

P.S. The lake is still dry!