Leslie’s Update

In November, I had the privilege of training people here in Fayetteville about cross-cultural issues we face when working with refugees. It was a four-week series about our biblical call to reach out to strangers, what culture is, and the differences we have between cultures. I had the joy, too, to share one of the evenings with my daughter, Aimee. As a licensed professional marriage and family therapist, she has had training in helping people with trauma and PTSD. Rather than try to teach that myself, I asked Aimee to come in to share what trauma and PTSD are, how we can recognize signs, and how to help.  I learned a lot that evening listening to her.

ACSI EU and Global

I continue to work with ACSI in the areas of international accreditation and European conferences. Right now is a slow time for me as we are between the big conferences. I also continue to work with ACSI Global in the area of international Christian school accreditation. Currently, I am working with a school in Bolivia to prepare them for the accreditation team visit in April. Lord willing, we will be able to do that in person.

ICCM Cohort Update

The board overseeing the Institute for Cross-Cultural Mission (ICCM) in Washington, DC, met mid-November and decided to close the institute for a variety of reasons. This means the end of my cohort studies. It was meant to be three years long, but I was part of it for only half that time. However, I am encouraged that the Lord used the cohort to introduce me to new friends who are also eager to study, and to help me learn a lot about our country’s racial tensions. He also used the cohort to push me into a ministry with training volunteers working with refugees.

So, NOW what?

Starting December 1, 2021, I am now officially working three hours a week for the Mission to North America Committee of the Presbyterian Church of America in Refugee and Immigrant Ministries. My official title is “Cross-Cultural Training Specialist.” Besides running trainings for churches who work with refugees, I will be helping the Director of the Refugee and Immigrant Ministries, Mrs. Pat Hatch, with a variety of administrative tasks.

I will also be volunteering with the We Welcome – NC group with training volunteers. We are planning future training opportunities for their volunteers in the Raleigh/Durham area, as well as churches who are interested in refugee ministries. One of the women also works with Welcome House, which is developing short-term housing for refugee families as they look for more permanent housing.

I am excited to see how the Lord leads and uses me to be an encouragement to others doing cross-cultural work right here in the US. Please pray for the Lord’s wisdom as I prepare and teach people about cross-cultural understanding.

A Much-Needed Time for Rest for Tom

You have watched and read and seen the fruit of Tom’s work these past few years with the Humanitarian Muslims. The amount of energy and work he has put in is, from my (Leslie’s) perspective, immense. Now that the jointly produced book has been launched, Tom needs to stop and rest.

We know that God does not want us living a life of exhaustion all the time. There are times to push hard; but then there are times to stop and re-gain strength by resting.

Additionally, Tom is having hip and knee problems again and may be facing 1 or more surgeries over the next year. We will know more early in December exactly what the prognosis is.

This has led us to think it is time for Tom to take a sabbatical. He needs to stop and rest his body and his brain. And he needs to have his hip and knee treated appropriately.

Thus, we are planning on Tom taking a year-long sabbatical. The first few months are to be complete rest and medical work, a deep sabbath, allowing God to rejuvenate his body and soul. The next several months would be a time of praying and studying, researching, and writing what he is called to write.

Probably in those last few months, he would be working again with the Humanitarian Muslims, preparing for a big event next September 2022. But this would be at a slower, less intense level than he has had over the last three years.

Twice Tom has had extended times for research and thinking, a research grant 35 years ago and a partial sabbatical 18 years ago. Much of what he has done on the international stage arose from what he learned during those times. People we trust have recommended that he not retire anytime soon because there is a more for him to do. We want this to be a time of equipping for the future.

Please join us in prayer that he could completely pass off current duties for this season. Pray, too, for him to truly rest. (We all have a hard time with that, don’t we?) And pray for the Lord’s wisdom about his next writing projects.
UPDATE: The Lord has provided people to take over most of Tom’s responsibilities for the next few months. We are very grateful for the Lord’s provision.