By Prayer is the motto of SIM. Both of our mission organizations, CVM and SIM, encourage a lifestyle of prayer that we appreciate so much! Each meeting of any kind (business or worship) opens and ends with prayer, asking God for his wisdom and guidance. We regularly meet with teammates to pray for each other, for our ministries and our passport countries. Back when I (Denise) served in Ethiopia our team would meet together to pray each morning before the radio role call. (Yes, that dates me and the times have changed!) On a more personal level, we take time each evening to do a short devotion and pray as a family. These are special times as we watch our children grasp new spiritual truths and we get to see their concern for others grow. We really appreciate your prayers too which lift us up in a physically and spiritually dry land. Your prayers, notes and support encourage us so much!

The hot season is fully upon us, with daily highs reaching 115+°F. Some days are especially humid, and we’re all eagerly anticipating the coming rains. Would you pray with us for a good rainy season this year? Our country relies heavily on rain-fed agriculture, yet it’s also vulnerable to devastating flash floods. Roads, homes, and tender crops can all be swept away in a matter of hours. We still have friends who are trying to rebuild houses lost in last year’s flooding.

By the time you read this, Abby will have just finished third grade. Like all kids, she’s excited for a summer break! She’s done wonderfully—lately she’s been writing a series of stories about a hedgehog and is very proud that her class has started working on fourth grade math. She’s also been faithfully taking piano lessons this year, and we’re so proud of her progress!

 A special highlight for me this past season was getting to lead worship with Abby and her friend during our English worship service. Roy provided sound support, and Josh helped with the offering. What a joy to serve together as a family! 

Josh will be home for one more year before starting school, and he’s already reading simple three-letter words. Once a week, he joins Abby and me at school. He gets to sit with her during the morning devotion, then comes with me to pray with other moms for the school. Afterward, we visit the library to pick out books for the week, and sometimes we visit a neighborhood friend. These are sweet moments for us both.

One of our long-standing hopes has been to visit home (America) once a year. With both our parents unable to travel, we’ve especially longed to be together in person as often as we can. However, it’s now been a year since our residence permits expired. If we leave, there’s currently no path back in. So, after much prayer and discussion, we’ve decided to remain here for now. We are understandably sad about this; we long be together with family when possible. These 1.5 years away have been hard as we have missed some births and deaths within our extended families. We are thankful for technology and other creative ways to be able to keep up with many of you. It is uplifting knowing our family supports us while we are far away.

This summer, we will look for creative ways to rest and enjoy time together within the city. We hope to make the most of local parks and pools. Please pray that we find true refreshment, even amidst the persistent heat and culture and language fatigue. We know God can provide rest even in the hardest places.

We’ll also continue connecting with our local friends throughout the summer. One man Roy has been meeting with recently expressed a desire to be baptized. Roy and a local pastor are meeting with him weekly, helping him grow in his understanding of what it means to follow Christ. Pray that God will transform this man’s life!

Please also pray for wisdom as we seek to help those around us. The needs are so great, and it’s not always clear how to help in a way that is sustainable and wise. While it’s tempting to give material help, we’ve seen how it can create jealousy or unhealthy dependence—on us rather than on God, the local church, or one’s own community. Even giving through the church requires discernment to ensure the right support reaches those truly in need. There’s no simple solution, so we ask for prayer: that we would give generously but wisely, teach where needed, and know when to step back so others can step in.

Thank you for walking with us in prayer. Your support is a lifeline in so many ways. Please let us know how we can lift you up in prayer too!

Serving by prayer,
Denise, Roy, Abby, and Josh

P.S. Since this letter was written, we heard that Denise’s mom has made a turn for the worse. After a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, we don’t know if these are her last days or weeks, so we decided to come home for the summer. We are planning to return to USA soon for some vacation and family time. Our residence permits have still not been renewed, so we will be applying for visas once we get to the States with hopes of being able to return in time for the start of Abby’s fourth grade year. It is definitely a faith adventure for us!

Would you pray for Denise’s mom and family? Also pray that we would get our visa quickly. Pray that our host country will see the benefit of a veterinarian and an agriculturalist to help their people.  We do feel God leading us home for this short season, and we know that God will provide the way back soon if he so desires. 

Denise & Roy - theanimalbridge@yahoo.com