Summer is still holdin on

It feels almost lucky to be feeling like 31 degrees outside right now.

Since the Tornado we spent about a week cleaning up the campus and also helping out in town to get it back to near the way it was. Since then our work detail group has been working on rebuilding the bridge at the entrance to New Tribes, which has to be done by the end of September, the extent of our building permit.

In class we are now 3/4 done sounds & symbols or Phonetics. It is a study on different sounds the mouth can make, how we make those sounds, and symbols to represent them. This will be helpful in language learning in a tribe that does not have literacy and therefore we have to make an alphabet for them. It is a difficult but also enjoyable class. Nate and I now know we are not tone deaf!

Next week we will be starting our CLAware (Culture Language Aquisition) program orientation where we learn how to use this software to help us better record the culture and, you guessed it, language of the tribe we will be in.

Next week is also the annual canoe trip for us students. It's an afternoon going down the Saugeen River which is beatiful and really fun.

The latest news about Indonesia for us is that we have started contact with the field. This is the application stage where we send them the evaluations of us from the staff last year and they decide if we fit their field. After some papers are passed around our status will be changed to 'enroute' to Indonesia. They have 3 openings during the year for people to come and start language study, which are April, July, or November. This is an exciting step for us but also a bit scary. Please be praying for us as we move forward, to find our strength and courage in Christ and also for the field to accept us.

I do apologize about the lack of pictures in this one. I will take more for the next update.

We love to hear from you guys, so email us! nateandtash@hotmail.com