Others were not as fortunate as we were.  There were landslides that caused deaths and damage.  The water rose high enough that some houses were flooded to the second floor of their house.  The roads were impassable for a few days.  They were using boats on the road to get around.  Abby was spending the night with a friend and they fought the flood waters in their house (their new floor was ruined) and were blocked into their subdivision until Sunday afternoon when they were able to get out by another way.  Major power poles were down.  We kept two of Abby’s friends until their parents were able to make it out to get them.  We are thankful our high school girls did not have any volleyball games Saturday.  The boys’ volleyball team couldn’t return to their homes after their game on Saturday; some just returned to their homes on Monday morning.

Please pray for the devastation here in Manila and for those who lost loved ones in the flood.  Power lines and water lines are still out in many places.  It will take weeks to get things back to normal here in Manila.  Many lost everything they owned.  We are fortunate to be close enough to Faith Academy with passable roads that we can take advantage of the water there.  Walter and Paul went with some other friends to help clean up other missionaries’ homes after the flood waters receded.  School was cancelled Monday and Tuesday for us at Faith Academy.

This means our Sundays will be very busy.   A4J starts at 7:00 am, then we drive to our church at 9:30 am, and lastly at 3:00 pm Walter and I lead a Bible study (called the Truth Project) with some school staff. 

We were also challenged by the leaders of A4J to come up with at least 2 sponsors for a child attending A4J.  Right now, funds are low.  The cost per child for the year is P300 (which in dollars is about $6.40).  This pays for a t-shirt, snacks, photocopying of the material, and a Christmas gift at the end of the year.  Would you consider sponsoring a child?  If you would like to give, you can do that through our account at our NTM office, designating it to the Spicers for A4J.  Please let us know so we can keep track of who gave, plus to make sure that we receive that amount.

Please pray for us as we begin this ministry, that we would be a blessing to the kids and encourage them.  Pray that they would understand God’s Word and would have a personal relationship with Him and for the families of these children.  Also, pray for our Bible study that we would grow in our knowledge of God and that it would impact our lives and our relationship with God and all who attend.

 In Christ,

Cheryl for the Spicers

Thank you for your prayers,

Cheryl Spicer for all

The high school kids didn’t have a “normal” week however.  They went to the high school retreat on Thursday to have a time of bonding and spiritual refreshment before the year gets started.  They got back Saturday.

 Walter is wearing several “hats” this year.  He will have two middle school students in NILD therapy, two different Math 7 classes (advanced and regular levels), is in charge of the middle school senate, and will be girls’ basketball coach.  Outdoor Ed. week falls at the end of the season and a tournament is at that time so he will need help during that week.  He is also the Discovery coordinator and will help the middle school principal a little. 

We are still praying about a ministry for our family to be involved in as well as a church to attend.  Our children also need to have some service hours with school and we would like it to be more ministry type.

 Our son, Ben will be starting his college classes this week.  We are excited that he can be with family our first time separated by an ocean.  He has a good job that will continue through the semester (he isn’t thrilled with the early morning hours though).  We are thankful for Skype and modern technology.  It is nice to see him through the webcam when we talk.  However, the different time zones make it a challenge to find time to call each other.

 Thank you for praying for us,

 Cheryl for the Spicers

In front of our house with our new van

Thank you for praying for us—our trip to the Philippines was uneventful and we are getting settled into our house.  All of our luggage made it fine—even our computer which I am typing on.  They just installed our internet service today!  Plus we already have cell phones but our “land line” is not working.  So our communication is up and running!

 We also purchased our “new” van today.  I had already emailed a missionary about his Hyundai Starex minivan that he was selling, so after we arrived we looked at it and liked it and the price.  We do not have all the paper work finished but it is parked in our carport.

We have things to fix on the house and we have boxes everywhere but we are happy to be “home” again.  Ashley and Paul fly to the Philippines on July 29; we have our Faith Academy Staff Retreat on July 31; and school starts on August 6^th.

 Thank you for praying for us!

 In Christ,

Walter for the Seven Spicers

Walter and I just returned from a 2 ½ week trip out east along with Abby. We visited friends and supporters and Walter took two courses in Virginia that will help him with his students at Faith Academy. Right now, we are packing and getting the last few items needed before our return to the Philippines in July.

We enjoyed our year of home assignment. It was so good to see friends and family. Our children were anxious about transitioning to a school here in the US for one year, but they fit in so well and made friends and participated in many activities at school. It will be hard for them to say good-bye to these friends, but they are also looking forward to seeing their friends in the Philippines.
Juliana’s eighth grade class went on a trip to Kansas City and I was able to go as a sponsor. It was fun to see her with her friends and the impact they have on each other. A day after they returned, they had a beautiful graduation ceremony.

Ben was able to get a job as a life guard at the local YMCA and is so far getting 40 hours per week. Paul was able to get a part time job at a fast food restaurant and getting good experience. He also has two mowing jobs. Ashley and Juliana are too young to get a steady job but have been able to work some odd jobs weeding, cleaning and Ashley did some babysitting. They also helped out with VBS.

At the beginning of June we had a surprise birthday party for Walter’s parents. They both turn 80 within the next 6 months. We wanted to be here to celebrate this milestone with them. Several of Walter’s family and our church came for the big celebration.

Although Walter wasn’t able to take the graduate courses that he wanted to take, he was able to take some courses that will help him as a therapist. I was able to complete my continuing education course for renewing my nursing license this fall. Our monthly support is at 60%; please pray with us as we trust God to provide for our needs. He has provided for us for 20 years and there is no reason to doubt an omnipotent God.

Thank you for standing behind us as we minister in the Philippines. We would also appreciate prayer as we leave Ben here in the US to attend college. It will be hard for all of us. Paul also has one year before he graduates and heads off to college. He would appreciate prayer for wisdom as he decides what course of study to take and where to attend.

In Christ,

Cheryl for the Spicers

It has been a joy to be in the US to see all the changing seasons. Spring is here with all its beautiful colors and shades of green. April showers have definitely brought May flowers, but the rains continue and the grass continues to grow.  My children just love mowing the lawn!

We were blessed to speak at a few churches and even at two Christian schools for their chapels. We had many opportunities to meet new people and visit with friends and relatives.

Our children continue to enjoy their schools, their many activities, and being with their friends. Juliana is finished with soccer, taking first place in their final tournament; and Ashley is almost finished. It is Paul and Ashley’s final week of high school, and Juliana and Abby have one more week left. We are looking forward to returning to the Philippines but we will all miss our friends and family here in the US.

Last week we drove to Wisconsin to pick up Ben who just finished his first year of college. We enjoyed visiting with friends and relatives along the way. Now Ben and our other children are looking for summer employment. Because of our visas, our children are unable to earn money in the Philippines so this is their only opportunity so save money for college. They have filled out several applications; please pray that God will open a door for them.

We just found out that the family who currently lives in our house in the Philippines is moving out right away. That means our house is empty, plus we won’t receive payments. We are looking for someone to live in it for the two months before we return.

At the end of June, we will be driving to Virginia where I, Walter, will attend two classes. It is for further training to work with children with learning differences. Pray for safety in travels and wisdom as I continue to learn more about the children I works with. Cheryl and Abby will accompany me as we hope to see many friends and relatives along the way.

Please pray for our final meetings here in the US that we will be an encouragement, plus we want to challenge people in their involvement with world missions.

God continues to shower blessings on us in many ways. We have had a little increase in our monthly support plus additional money for our outgoing expenses, but we still have a ways to go to meet our goal. Please continue to pray for our monthly support to increase as well as the remaining outgoing expenses to be covered.

We fly back in July! Please pray for us in our final count down.

Thank you,

Walter for the Seven Spicer’s

March was a busy month. Walter had a great time at his NILD conference (a teacher’s conference), learning many things and being refreshed to teach again. All five of our children had spring break at the same time, so we had some family time together—it was a joy to have Ben home for a week.

In our last letter, we asked you to pray that God would open doors to share in more churches. We do praise God that He allowed us to share in several churches in March and we have a few booked for April. We are thankful for these opportunities. Please continue to pray that God would raise the remaining funds. About $10,000 was given to us in March for our outgoing expenses! PTL! We still need about $8,000 for outgoing expenses and increase of $2000 in our monthly support. With the money we received, we were able to purchase our return tickets.

The spring sport season is here; both Ashley and Juliana are playing soccer. They attend two different schools so are on different teams which makes it difficult to coordinate their games. We are often going in two different directions. Spring is also the time for music competition. Paul and Ashley are still playing their trumpets, and Paul is in a men’s ensemble—his men’s ensemble has been given very high scores. Abby is not in any sport but enjoys playing with her friends and being with family.

Do pray that we could speak in a few more churches and pray for wisdom as we schedule our last three months—sharing at churches and visiting with friends and family. Pray that Ben, Paul, and Ashley will get summer jobs. For Paul and Ashley, this will be the only time they can earn money to save for college.

We fly back in July! Please pray for us in our final count down.

Thank you,

Walter for the Seven Spicer’s

December was a time to spend time with family. We all enjoyed having Ben home for a few weeks. We were able to spend some time celebrating holidays with both the Burnhams and Spicers. This is something we are really enjoying during our year in the United States. The kids have also enjoyed the little bit of snow we received. They were disappointed that school hasn’t been cancelled due to snow.

January was busy with meetings. We were even able to include a speaking engagement at a supporting church in Wisconsin with a trip to visit Ben at his college. We took the whole family so that was special. We saw one of Ben’s games (but didn’t see Ben play as he was healing from a foot injury).

In addition to speaking in churches, we have been involved with our home church here in Kansas. We have enjoyed being involved in AWANA on Wednesday evenings. The kids have helped with games and handbook time and Walter takes his turn teaching the counsel time.

We have made it through another sports season. Basketball for the girls kept us even busier. Walter assisted with the girls’ basketball team and coached the freshman girls’ team this year. It kept Walter busy after school and traveling with Ashley’s team. Juliana also played, so often we were going two different directions. It was a good opportunity for Walter to get involved in students’ lives again.

Paul stretched himself this year and went out for the spring musical at school. He is very tired, but seems to be enjoying himself. The performances are this weekend.

March starts another sports season. Juliana and Ashley are trying out for the soccer teams. We are also looking forward to spring break. Ben’s break is the same time as the other kids so we are again looking forward to being together as well as traveling some to visit a church and supporter.

Walter will be attending an NILD conference for educational therapists in March. Please pray for safe travels and the needed finances.

Please pray for more meetings in churches and that God would raise up the remaining funds. Humanly speaking it seems staggering. We are praying for an increase of $2000 in our monthly support and $17,000 more in outgoing expenses (plane tickets, visas and a new vehicle). We want to return in July.

In Christ,

Cheryl for all the Spicers