Talk Time

Neil's been going the Talk Time program on Monday nights, with one of the children. They walk up to campus and are gone for a couple of hours. Talk Time is managed by Amanda Anderson, a Campus Crusades for Christ staff member, and is a time for Americans and Internationals to get together in a sort of "conversation club". It provides extra practice for the international with his/her English skills. It also provides us with the opportunity to meet more international students, and invite them over to dinner!

Recently we had Ryohei and Hiroshi, two young gentlemen from Japan, to the house on a Friday night. We had dinner and played games. They are at Central with the AUAP program -- a four-month intensive ESL program available to students attending Asia University in Tokyo. The AUAP student's English skills are much less developed than those of regular international students -- these two brought their English-Japanese translators and used them much!

We've begun attending a different church here in town and are much blessed by the fellowship there. The passion for the person of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit run high. Relationship is very important amongst the believers, and the family unit is honored. We are very thankful that the Lord has led us to this congregation! Plus, it's within walking distance and so we've walked every week. On Easter, the kids carried our large worship flags to church and waved them joyfully -- they received a few celebratory honks from passersby.

Family news: Our sixth baby, a son we named Isaac Neilson, was born on Friday, February 17. Ike is healthy and strong, and brings a unique dimension to our home that without which we know we would not be complete. We are so thankful for him! "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17).