Starting Strong: April Update Letter

Ministry Trips

This year started with 3 back-to-back trips for me (Daniel)! I began with a quick trip to Florida for an annual gathering of global translators and publishers. This conference is always encouraging to me as I hear what God is doing through translation/publishing work in different nations and learn from others about what they are doing. And to find partnerships with others.

Following the conference, I headed to Vietnam and then another closed nation in SE Asia to train pastors in two separate trips. I love seeing these church leaders grow in their understanding of the Gospel and the Word as we meet with them every few months. These teaching times have anywhere from 20-60 pastors and ministry leaders at a time.

Tien Phong Ministries

This year has had a strong start for our team! We already finished translating and published two new books: "Nine Marks of a Healthy Church" and "Bitesize Theology". The Lord also provided for us to purchase 6 new monitors, and office tables and chairs.

As I mentioned in the last newsletter, our main project for the year is creating the very first Vietnamese Study Bible (VSB). We are translating the study notes from the ESV Study Bible to add them to our Vietnamese Bible and create a better study tool for Vietnamese Christians. Our latest accomplishment is finishing the translation of the New Testament maps! We never imagined how hard it would be to get the right licensing for the Bible text and find a program that works for us to configure the formatting and layout. After several closed doors and failed attempts, we think we have everything sorted out now. It's definitely a learning curve for us, but we praise God for the way He has led us to the right contacts to help us along the way.

Family

One big weight on my chest lately has been my father's health. After suffering from a 3rd stroke early this year, he is very weak and unstable. I'm grateful that I can visit him on my trips to Vietnam, but it's hard to see him this way. He is no longer able to eat or drink on his own and relies on a feeding tube instead. I try to encourage him in the Lord each time I see him. We often both end up crying as we talk and I read the Bible to him. This all has taken a big toll on my mom as well. My dad isn't easy to care for, and she often tells me that she hardly recognizes him. My older sister decided to take them into her house so she can better help share the load and care for them both as they age. I'm grateful for this as it allows my mom to rest more.

The other big burden for our family recently has been Micaiah's health. A few months ago, the pediatrician noted that his growth had stalled significantly, and he had dropped to the 1st percentile for both weight and height. We started focusing more on his nutrition and getting extra healthy fats in his diet. When this didn't make a significant difference, we ran a bunch of blood tests and eventually got him tested for food allergies. During this process, both he and Cassandra (since she is still breastfeeding him) went on a strict diet, trying to eliminate all possible food triggers. His skin has cleared up a lot since starting the diet and trying some new natural topical treatments; however, he remains very itchy and still wakes up every 1-2 hrs all night long. Please join us in praying for his complete healing.

1. For Kieu Anh (one of the designers in our Tien Phong Ministries' team) to be a light in her family and stay strong in her faith. Her father just died of cancer, and her mother is currently fighting breast cancer. She is the only believer in her family and has faced a lot of persecution from her family members. Despite all that, her 2 younger siblings have recently shown some interest in going to church with her.
2. For help from the Lord with our VSB project as we continue to learn how to use the new formatting and layout program.
3. For the pastors and church leaders who are a part of our quarterly trainings in SE Asia. May the teachings they receive go deep into their hearts and make a significant impact in their congregations.
4. For complete healing for Micaiah and increased growth. Pray that we can get clear answers about what is going on internally and good advice about how to help him.
5. For my father to regain his strength and continue to heal from his stroke. Also, for health and help for my mother as she cares for him each day.