First of all, thanks for checking our blog and making the effort to keep up to date with how we're doing. We are grateful for you who pray for us. We need it!
1. Pray for our adjustment. We like living in Wales (we really do), but sometimes we just don't understand life in Wales. So many things people here take for granted are just new to us. We enjoy learning about things, but sometimes how and where to learn is a mystery to us. Think about all of the things about life in your part of the world that you just know, and you don't remember how or where you learned them – they're just things that everyone knows. Well, those are the kinds of things that we are trying to figure out. So, we're learning, and probably a year or two from now we won't remember what it was like not to live Wales, but for now it is sometimes a little hard to be the dummy in the room who doesn't know what everyone else is talking about. 
2. Pray for opportunities to reach out to others. We are learning that opportunities to build relationships with new people are precious. This kind of goes back to the challenge of learning about life in Wales, but we are trying to find ways to order our lives in such a way that we maximize the chances of meeting people and building friendships. For example, we've been having lunch in a nearby cafe the last few Fridays not only for family fun and to give Marcia a break but also for the sake of meeting people. This is also why Joe and I try to hold our ministry planning sessions in restaurants or cafes in town. Those times double as opportunities to interact with others in the community and gain familiarity with people.
3. Pray for spiritual strength. Like everyone else, we are subject to discouragement and frustration over challenging circumstances, and the temptation is to look to things other than the Lord for our comfort and satisfaction. We need grace to keep our focus on Christ and not stray into distractions that help us forget what we know to be our true need – more grace.
Well, there is a lot more I could say, but it will have to wait until another time.
10 February 2009
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