Dear Friends,

The six weeks of cool weather in December and January were a real relief, but now we are back to normal. 98 degree afternoons always seem to feel hotter after a cool spell.

The New Life Center has been bustling with activity as the girls have been finishing off the school year and completing all their exams. Last night, we celebrated the graduation of 13 residents who live at the Chiang Rai branch. Nine of them graduated from the 9th grade, and four from tech school. One will go on to work, while the other girls will continue their studies, focusing on accounting, culinary arts, and college prep. Dinner started at 6:30 with an extravagant spread of steamed fish, fried chicken wings, glass noodles with veggies, soup and rice. After dinner, we had a ceremony which lasted more than 3 hours. (They take this celebration stuff seriously!) The graduates all dressed in their school uniforms: a black skirt and white blouse with a colorful corsage pinned to each blouse. There was a lovely homily, and lots of singing scattered throughout the evening. It was moving to hear each graduate speak about their experiences at the New Life Center and share that just a few years ago, they never could have imagined that they would be able to graduate from school. Behind nervous teenaged smiles, each graduate graciously thanked the NLC staff, their friends, and their teachers and shared their dreams for the future. Teachers from the adult school attended and had words of encouragement for them. Karen Smith (director of the NLC, and an IM missionary) spoke about illiteracy in the 21st Century. She explained that today, 25% of the world's population is illiterate. And of that figure, two thirds of those people are women. So it is significant that this group has had the opportunity to learn to read and write. But in addition to being literate young women, she shared that she hopes that the New Life Center has also contributed to forming their character so that they live the values of self-awareness, self-discipline, and empathy. Each resident received flowers and gifts to honor this special day. And some of you may remember that on July 30th, 2004, I wrote about a 17-year old girl who did not know how to use a ruler, and stated that she was just starting kindergarten. Well, I sat next to her last night, and she was proudly reading all the words of the worship songs and singing her little heart out! It was neat to look in her eyes as she took in this whole event. She seemed to be wondering, "Will that be me some day?!"

Outside of New Life Center work, I have also been busy with other opportunities to teach and preach. I was invited to preach in a church in southern Thailand last month, so I flew down there, met some interesting new people, and learned about the experience of Christians in southern Thailand. They live amongst a large Muslim community. Then two weeks ago, I taught a series of three Bible studies on the "passion and crucifixion of Christ" for the Karen Baptist Women's Leadership Conference. It was such fun to work with these Karen women. And they had so many questions about the Bible that I stayed and got into a discussion with them for several extra hours. This Sunday, I will be preaching and offering the Lord's Supper at the Lahu Baptist Church in Chiang Mai. Then next weekend, it's off to another Lahu village for preaching and a baptism. (Thank God rainy season is over!)

Another big part of my life right now is preparing to return to the U.S. for my first year of deputation, starting on April 14th of this year. This will involve going to visit churches and conferences around the country to speak about the New Life Center and my work in Thailand. I hope to build stronger ties with churches in the U.S. so that you can join me in my excitement about ministry in Thailand. I also want to invite new folks to participate in this ministry through their prayers and financial support. And as I travel around, I will be bringing handicrafts from the New Life Center with me. I hope to sell these products and build a more reliable market for them in the future. So this is a time of transition for me. It will be hard to say goodbye to my friends here, and move out of my home. (A year feels like such a long time to be away!) I plan to be based in Cincinnati, OH, so I will need to find an apartment and a car within the first week of arrival. And I am working on putting together different presentations, sermons, etc. It's hard to fit that in on top of my regular work schedule. (Prayers would be appreciated!)

If you think your church might be interested in hosting me for a Sunday morning sermon, an afternoon or evening Powerpoint presentation, adult Sunday school or workshop, please get in touch with your pastor. Then you or your pastor should contact your regional Minister of Mission Support to talk about scheduling. If your region does not have a Minister of Mission Support, you may contact Ruthie Stevenson at International Ministries. Just email her at Ruthie.Stevenson@abc-usa.org . Within the next few months, I will send out a calendar of where I will be speaking so that you will know when I will be in your area.

Many blessings to you. And thank for your friendship, prayers and financial support.

With Love,

-Kit