John and Margaret Birkemo Expanding the Reach of the Gospel 
Looking back at our daughter’s wedding on June 14th we can rejoice how the Lord undertook for all of us! The entire event was a well organized, beautiful and fun experience for the bride and groom and everyone who attended. We had a lot of help in getting ready and are so thankful to all that gave advice or lent a hand. The happy couple spent their honeymoon in Mexico and had a wonderful time. Mom and Dad spent the following couple of weeks recovering! The newlyweds returned to Springfield, MO to find their apartment flooded from the serial deluges the state had been experiencing. Welcome back to the real world kids! They were finally able to find a nicer (and drier) apartment in a great part of town.
As you might recall, Margaret and I were supposed to leave for Africa on the 27th of June. The Lord intervened on our behalf (He knew we weren’t going to be ready for that) and instead we’re in Scottsdale AZ with our daughter Kriya and family. It’s our joy to be able to free our two grandkids, Ryan & Holly, up from daycare and to offer them the chance to sleep in, plus a pretty organized program of spiritual, physical and recreational activities. Our plan is to be here for the month of July and we hope to develop some contacts with churches and individuals interested in the Missionary Training Center. Lord willing we’ll be back at the Training Center by Aug.2nd at start getting ready for the fall semester.
