August 2008 Report

Dear Christian Friends,

Deja vu is one of those French terms that it used interchangeably in English, rather like a la carte, hors d'oeuvre, or RSVP. They need no translation. Unfortunately, July was a deja vu kind of month. It feels like we have experienced and reported these things to you before.

For most of the staff it was business as usual. John Grubb worked on additional DVD lessons in Chinese. Benjamin Richardson and Dave Komisak recorded English radio and television. And the secretaries - Linda Hill, Ellen Mills, and Kristen Underwood - handled the multitude of tasks that they usually handle.

But William Howard had difficulty with the printing press - again. It remained uncooperative for such an extended period that he finally had to move the printing of the August Update to the Duluth church building and borrow their copier in an attempt to finish it on time. And problems with the printing press, as usual, created problems with shipping. As our supplies of one correspondence course depleted our overseas shipping came to a sudden halt. Since we send our foreign teachers ALL of the courses that they will need with their students together in large supply, a shortage of just one booklet delays everything until it can be printed again.

And Jimmie Hill, our Director of Publications, continued to have serious health problems. Earlier this year it was thought that he had a brain tumor, but that lesion turned out to be a minor stroke and we were all greatly relieved. However, while doing a battery of blood tests, a possible problem with his thyroid was spotted. We all hoped that would also turn out to be minor but it did not. He was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in mid-July and on July 30th both lobes of his thyroid gland and numerous lymph nodes were removed. We are still awaiting reports to learn if the cancer had spread beyond his thyroid, so please continue to remember him in your prayers.

On a non-deja vu note, the Truth for the World Mission Forum is on the horizon and each one of these is completely unique. This year's theme is "Revive Us Again" and the speakers will be Rudy Cain, Denton Landon, Gary Atwater, and Michael Barclay. November 14 - 16, 2008, will arrive quicker than you think so please start making your plans now to be here.

We are blessed to have friends like you. Thank you for being a faithful part of this work.

Staff of Truth for the World