8 April 2008 - Letter from Leon [Number 9]
Thu Apr 10, 08 5:03 pm
*Thank You*
I want to thank everyone who has committed to support me both financially and prayerfully for the next few years. I had thought that I was really busy while home, but I didn’t realize how busy. I had a week of holiday (vacation), 53 meetings, worked a few days remotely, a number of informal meetings, and a couple of doctor appointments. I was there for only 59 full days! I now have around 140 people getting my updates.
If you think there are others that might like to get my update or possibly support me financially, please have them contact me. The dollar keeps going up/down (mostly down) in value against the British pound so it is a continual battle to stay fully supported.
My holiday was a skiing holiday in Colorado. I realize that this photo is from Norway, but I did not get any good photos from Steamboat. I was too busy enjoying the powder 
.
*My OM Work*
My work has changed. I can work from home a bit, leaving the office at mostly normal hours. I don't have to keep all my tasks tumbling around in my head trying to remember them for when I can write them down. I do not get the same sense of accomplishment each day when I leave the office because my job has changed. Much of my work requires long term thinking and planning which will takes weeks, months and years to bring to completion. But this means that my work is greatly reduced in urgency and therefore pressure. I have not had that for many years. Even my last job in the secular field was pretty intense and very busy. These are a few examples of how the job has changed. I have to remember these change so that I don’t become lackadaisical.
I still work a few late hours when I work with OM USA (in Atlanta, GA) because of the time difference. I am the technical lead for an e-mail migration from a Linux based solution to Microsoft Exchange. This project requires regular contact so I am not completely done with late work days.
I am also researching WAN optimization solutions (pretty technical stuff) and am negotiating a contract to outsource a centralized, internationally available, and highly available Exchange (e-mail) server. Both of these projects are stretching me in new ways.
*Home Life*
My housemates are doing quite well. Phil (who had back surgery shortly before I left for the US) is practically back to full form. He has taken over my former position and is really enjoying it. It keeps him very busy, but I am quite appreciative to be able to move fully into my new role now that he has embraced my former job so fully. HE is now the person working long days and nights.
My other housemate, Johannes, has really grown and matured since his arrival in the fall. His English has improved considerably and he is quite good about helping out around the house. It is a big answer to prayers for me to have his help (and Phil's too now that he is recovered). He is even asking me to not do the dishes sometimes so that he can pull his own weight!
*Personal Life*
I have been engaging in quite a bit of hospitality recently. I have been having people around for tea (dinner), to play games, organizing dances at the office and making puddings (deserts) to share with others. I am now being introduced to new recruits as one who organizes fun parties and things like that. I enjoy being able to organize and participate in activities that encourage team camaraderie.
I am also finding a lot of time to read, pray and think. I was given a complete set of all Dickens’s books this week which I will be reading. I tend to read more classical books and the library here does not have many of them. Inter-library loan has a fee attached if you want to use it. I could likely buy books at a second hand shop for less money than the inter-library loan. Since I move around and don't have a permanent place to store books I don’t really want to buy books.
I am helping out again at church and am back on the rota (schedule) for leading a setup group at church. Since we meet at a school we always setup and tear down everything every week! The school is being razed in the fall so we are looking at other facilities for the fall. I am also in a new small group at church. This group is different than the last and it is taking time to get settled into it.
My next planned travels are to the Logos Hope (in Germany) in a few weeks and then a trip back to the US for my brother's wedding. I am still hoping to have my trip to the US coincide with work at the OM USA offices in Atlanta, Georgia.
*SportsLink*
Since its establishment 12 years ago, sports ministries have taken off across the globe, impacting thousands. SportsLink has entered into a new partnership with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), the largest Christian sports organization in America which in 2007 reached 2 million athletes and coaches, running 42,000 camps and 8,000 Bible Studies in schools and universities. Now, says spokesman Dan Britton, it hopes to expand its ministries outside the US by linking with OM. "FCA considers itself to be an arm of the church, which fits into OM's core strategy. We want to minister to the heart of the athlete, tying Bible truth to Biblical coaching and competition. We also want to train people with a passion for sports ministry." Pray for the OM Sportslink team as they work together with FCA to make an even greater impact in the future.
Source: Debbie Meroff, OM News and Information
OM’s ship Doulos vs Pusan,South Korea
*Nepal*
In Nepal every year a three month training programme for Nepali Christians takes place, some of whom then go on to do a further 12 months course. This enables them to learn more about God and how to take a leadership role with their church. This year we have 186 participants. 38 of these come from two different Bible schools to be part of this training as well to have more experience of practical field ministry. There is a great keenness amongst the Nepali people to see others come to faith in God.
A group of older people begged to be allowed to stay and train with the Winter Outreach Programme team, even though they knew that the teams would be asked to go to extreme areas which would be very hard on them. One lady was very tearful at the thought of being sent back home; she reiterated that she was, "here for the lord". She is 56 years old, which for a Nepali lady is like being 70 or more in a western country. The leader felt challenged and decided that the zeal of this group of older people gave them the right to stay.
Source: OM South Asia Communications
Nepalese villager
*Prayer Requests*
1. Wisdom for tests, analysis, reports and meetings that I am inor working on
2. That my duties with OM will take me to the US around the time of my brother's June wedding
3. That the financial situation for the US dollar to the British pound will not get worse
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