Once upon a time, a fair maiden did wake her husband, the handsome prince.[1] "O, thou most gracious master, there is no gas for cooking. Alas! What shall we do?" So the prince did say, "I guess we'll eat cold food this morning, and the gas should be back on for a hot supper tonight."

Alas, it was not so. It did seem that a certain government-owned gas company was going broke and did need to borrow money. When finally they did perchance borrow some, the nation's banks had to back the loan. Foresoothe, the chief of the gas company took the money and ran--I think to never-never land.[2] The banks did go broke. The nation couldn't pay another nearby nation, from whom they do buy their gas. Wherefore, the nation's capital did shut off the gas in the city.

When perchance the handsome prince and the fair maiden asked about this, behold, a herald did cry, "Yea, and verily: Monday the next, the city shall also shut off all the hot water." For said city did have a central heating plant for the whole city, which also would not have gas. So the prince and princess said to one another, "Whoa, that's a bummer!"[3] By the time we leave here, it shall be said of us, 'They stinketh!' Alas, who could stand to sit by us on the plane?"

But fair maiden was no dumb bunny. She did betake herself to 'yon bazaar and did buy some really cool, fuse-blowing heater coils that will boil water in a flsh, if at first a hole they do not burn in the bottom of the pan. And fair maiden did also rummage around the kitchen and find something that looked like Boy Scout project to make a cooking burner. Behold, it did look like a heater coil ripped off some other appliance and wrapped around a couple bricks. Yep! It worketh... sorta' We did even mostly fry some chicken last night.

But me thinketh fair maiden will be negotiating to go out to a restaurant to eat more than fair couple would normally do so. And, the prince doth think it shall be the better part of wisdom to agree with fair maiden--especially since the maiden's hands are getting cracked by also doing the laundry by hand in cold water. What think ye all?

Fair maiden thinketh that our friends shall be in tears for sorrow at our hardship, so she doth command me to tell you all, "Seriously, we're getting by just fine. It seemeth that handsome prince doth like to whine."

Actually, it's an exciting time to be here as preparations are underway for our first-ever graduation here in Central Asia. Students are looking ahead to ministry in various places, often in places we would all consider very "closed". Just today, one of the sharp students was visiting our flat, seeking counsel about how to move into ministry and how to follow God's will. Staff around here are busy making everything from the graduation regalia to the diplomas. The building is being spruced up, guests and parents are invited. Students are working with a severe combination of diseased, called spring fever, and senioritis.

It hardly seems possible that three years ago, this all began with the first group of incoming students who had experinced God's call to ministry and were now finding a place to study for pastoral ministry.

The whole group has already been quite active in the work, but now they'll be spreading around Central Asia to great effect.

Requests

• Remember the graduates, especially those who will be making difficult border crossings to return home.
• Remember Dale and Janice. We head off in different directions when we leave here: Dale to Romania and Janice back to the Brussels office.
• Remember Ruslan, a sharp graduate who's seeking the place where is call should lead him, and wanting a wife to join him in this work.

Notes

[1] Said "handsome prince" looked suspiciously like a bow-tied Amish guy, and is thus probably not all that handsome; however, "fair maiden" thinks he's handsome--and that's what's important, think ye not? [back]

[2] Never-never land is probably considerably "west" of here. [back]

[3] Term meaning "alas and foresoothe," or "woe is me, for I am undone." [back]