1 I will love You, O LORD, my strength.  2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies...  6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears.                           

It’s been difficult to think about writing a newsletter with all that’s been going on back in Louisiana and the nearby states and in New Orleans in particular. We, as is often the case, were slow in hearing that anything was going on. The storm hit on a Monday and we heard about it on Thursday. Fortunately, we heard first from someone who had tracked down our immediate families and could tell us they were all safe and had fled before the storm hit. The outpouring of love and care from the people here has been comforting to see. They have been very concerned for our families because many know that we are from New Orleans and that our families live in the area.

Life here has been in an upheaval also, but not on the same scale. This week Benjamin caught the train to go twelve hours away to the northeastern part of the country. He is hoping to gain some life skills helping with construction projects. The apartment has been feeling very empty without him. Benjamin may be gone until the end of October.  But the bigger news, though not unexpected by us, is Heidi’s engagement! Heidi was asked on the 28^th of August by Sorin Bute to marry him. She said yes! At this time they do not have a date, but are looking to the fall of next year. Heidi is still hoping to go to China in the fall to work in a kindergarten or orphanage for the school year if the Lord provides an open door.

As we left it was a good feeling to know we had provided for the people in several ways. 1) We had come and provided a service of trimming their finger- and toenails. 2) We had provided some entertainment with our jokes, songs, and conversation. 3) But most importantly, we had been there to point them on to their Creator--the One who holds the storms in His hands. It’s wonderful to know in the storms of each of our lives that God loves us. Like a parent, sometimes God’s getting our attention can be painful, but the love He demonstrated to us through the life of His Son can never be denied. He will always be there when we call. But we can and should call today while the sky is blue and clear and not wait for the storms to look for Him.

Please pray for safety and wisdom for Heidi as she looks for the open door   into China and for Benjamin while he is   away. Thank you.