19 Days to Go

As our family prepares to leave for Hong Kong, we will once again ask for your prayers, for smooth and safe travel, and especially Jean Season's health. Also please pray especially for us when we arrive in Hong Kong, we have 2 1/2 days for the Smyth's to orient us to the area and introduce us to as many as we are able. Thank you for the calls of support the last few days, we know that many of you are thinking of us. Here is portions of the Smyth's newsletter for June.

DIT 2006 is now finished. Solomon, Ariel, Ronald and Cody returned to the Philippines on Tuesday, May 30. This year’s DIT provided undreamed of opportunities and challenges. The combination of 2 preachers and 2 university students provided a special learning and sharing environment. Cody and Ariel, university students, preached for the first time here. Ronald and Solomon, preachers, provided special and needed counsel for us two missionaries here related to ministry to Filipinas. They were all very talented musically and truly ministered to my spirit by their singing day and night. Our daily four-hour class sessions each morning were conducted at a round table in my office, where people on opposite sides of the table would be against either my desk or the office wall. Three of the four faced major spiritual warfare while here related to either health or family problems. However our Lord was at work through it all. Our lives were so entwined with each other that there were many tears shed at the airport upon their departure. I believe it was truly a life-changing experience for all of us. Thank you for your prayers. Invitation letters for DIT 2007 (July and August) have already been issued by the Fairview Park Christian Church for three Philippine ministers. They are all from churches where former members of the Fairview Park Christian Church currently serve. It will reinforce the fruitfulness of the work here in Hong Kong by strengthening the work of those churches in the Philippines. Please pray about DIT 2007.
Other blessings include: Sunday morning attendance is running 40 plus or minus, more than a 50% increase over a year or so ago. There are also new Chinese coming to the Friday Bible study but not coming to church yet. Also, I am delighted to tell you that Bible studies are to resume once again with Wilson Tsang next Monday. It has been a long time since we’ve had Bible study together. Pray much for this that I may be the Lord’s instrument in these Bible studies in the next three weeks before our furlough. Pray also that Wilson may be under conviction of the Holy Spirit and would surrender to Jesus. A Creation Science seminar being conducted by Dr. John Nay has been well attended by Christians and non-Christians.
Please be in prayer for our furlough as well as for Jim and Betsy Mollette, our co-workers currently on furlough. Mollettes are to return on August 24 and we return on September 1. With a shortened furlough this year, we will be speaking in supporting churches in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Nebraska. Tj and Barbie Waters will be coming to fill in for us during July and then Adam Ensign, (DIT 2005 trainee) will be here in August. Scott, our son, will be here during the entire time giving oversight to the work.
For the glory of our Lord Jesus,
Ken and Linda