September 07 Newsletter
Return from summer break in Australia marked the beginning of our third academic year at the Shantou University Medical College, and half way through our proposed term in China.
Suzanne undertook her four day training visit to Ho Chi Minh City and recently began putting this training into practice. Following an intranet advertisement regarding placements at Oxford University beginning March next year the Medical College received around fifty applications. Most of these were from Masters’ students and medical interns, but only around thirty attended the initial testing to determine their English level. Suzanne is now marking the test papers and a decision will be made as to how many will undergo her English training course.
In early September Ray farewelled the students he has been tutoring for the past six months or so. One has gone to Sweden for two years, one to Canada for six months, and a group of four to Canada for six weeks. The breathing space until his new students start coming next month has been spent dealing with issues of Deborah’s proposed adoption, and promotion of his autobiography which was re-published in the USA back in June.
Deborah’s adoption has moved up a gear with the arrival in Changsha of “Bruce”, a Canadian social worker who is consulting to the Fostercare Team for the next two years. Bruce is no newcomer to adopting children in China having personally been through the experience twice himself, and is proving to be a great advocate for us in helping overcome the tyranny of distance (Changsha is an hour’s plane flight away).
Our English Bible Study through the church on Saturday afternoons has re-commenced, with a number of new faces. A handful of the long-time members of this class have expressed a desire to be challenged more, both spiritually and in their English. As a result we are getting together some resources (books, study guides etc.) and look like running Rick Warren’s 40 Days of Purpose Driven Life one night a week commencing late October.
The PDL course with Maggie is going very well; Suzanne is really enjoying it and gaining much spiritually from redoing it.
The first week in October is National Week in China and the three of us are going to Kunming for a six-day tour. Kunming is the capital of Yunnan Province, which borders with Tibet and is home to 40 million people (twice Australia’s population?). Yunnan is China’s sixth largest province and is the most geographically varied of them all with tropical rainforest and icy Tibetan highlands. It is also home to a third of all China’s ethnic minorities, and half of all her plant and animal species.
Praise Points:
Praise for Suzanne’s new job and a two-year contract instead of only one year.
Praise for our Bible Study class members who are eager to learn more about His purpose in their life.
Praise for the lessons the Father is teaching us regarding trusting Him and not in our own strength.
Praise for the opportunity to do the PDL course and enjoy further fellowship with this group.
Prayer Points:
Pray for Suzanne as she prepares for new challenges ahead professionally.
Pray for wisdom and compassion for the Fostercare Team and the welfare authorities in Deborah’s adoption.
Pray that our spiritual lives will continue to mature as we seek out His Word.
