Babies Ester and Santi

Due to technical problems, I haven't been able to update for two weeks. My apologies!

What better way to come back, though, than to announce God's grace in granting two recent arrivals to our mission in the DR.

On Thursday, May 10, Helve and Mili Robert had a baby girl -- their first child. Helve is one of our six seminary students, and the recently Called student-pastor of the Haitian congregation here in Santiago. After going back and forth for months before her birth between the names Ester and Rut, they finally decided on Ester. Please keep Mili in your prayers since she had a difficult delivery and is still recovering, on bed-rest at home. We look forward to Ester becoming a child of God through the sacrament of Holy Baptism soon.

To announce the other birth, allow me to share an email from Missionary Shiloh Monday:

Dear family and friends,

Well, I missed it... but he arrived safely. Praise God with us for his special gift of a baby boy and for granting a safe delivery for mother and child!

James Edward Monday was born on Monday (oh, please... stop), May 14 at 2:45 PM. He weighed 8 lbs 15 oz and measured 22 1/2 inches long. Molly arrived at the hospital at 11 AM and braved it "alone," with the help of the doctor and nurses, of course. Shiloh was on an American 747 somewhere over Kentucky or Tennessee at the time, chatting with strangers and enjoying beverage and snack service.

We will call him "Santiago" in the DR, as that is the equivalent of "James" in Spanish, and if it sticks, it sticks. Sam and Sophie already love calling their brother "baby Santi."

Santiago, God-willing, will become a son of his heavenly Father on Sunday at St. Paul's, Ixonia, WI.

God's blessings to all of you as you share the news of his grace in Christ to all those around you and in all the world,

Shiloh

The Lord bless you with his Peace,
NW

First Seminary Graduate

Thanks be to God for being with Rona Abraham, our soon-to-be first seminary graduate here in the DR. We ask the Lord to bless him as he plans to return to Haiti this summer to share the Gospel with his fellow Haitians. His planned departure, however, leaves a vacancy in the Haitian congregation here in Santiago where he was serving as a student-pastor.

To fill the vacancy, the Haitian congregation met and called Helve Robert, another Haitian seminary student, to serve as their shepherd. We praise God for providing this gift to the church, another humble servant who will lead God's people to see Jesus their Savior. Please join us in praying for the Lord's blessings on Student-Pastor Helve's ministry.

The Lord bless you with his Peace,
NW

PS -- My apologies for not updating last week :-( I'll spare you my list of excuses :-)))