Dear Ministry Partners,

We trust this letter finds you well and enjoying the springtime weather.  We are enjoying seeing all the “green” which is starting to appear and are beginning to think about planting some flowers and a small garden.  Neither one of us has a green thumb but it is a hobby we both enjoy.

As I write this letter our coworkers Steve, Esron, & Miyanto are in Wana and enjoying some fellowship with the Wana tribal believers.  Our helicopter is down for major engine repair but thankfully the Lord saw fit to get our mission’s new airplane in service in time for them to use it.  The church in the village of “Flat Plain” was able to upgrade and repair the old airstrip so we are able to get into one of our most remote villages.  Our church leaders, teachers, and many others from our six churches were able to come together last week for a biannual Bible conference which we conduct each spring and fall.

I had really been hoping to be able to spend Easter weekend in Wana land this year but the Lord has seen fit to put me on hold for a little while longer as I wait for my neck to complete its healing.  A three month check up with the doctor last week was very encouraging as he said the grafts are all bonding well and I can now start to increase my activities.  He said I should be ready for rigors of Asia travel by the next scheduled trip in September so I am looking forward to that.

Meantime we are keeping busy working on curriculum development and also working on the Genesis comprehension check.  We are now up to chapter 36 on the comprehension check. Translation always poses many challenges, but it is fun and we learn a lot from it in the process.  Esron and Miyanto are great guys and we really enjoy working with one another and share lots of laughs in the process too.  Besides Genesis we are also working on phase 1 “Life of Christ” lessons and also phase 5 lessons in Exodus. 

We will appreciate your prayers for the Wana people living in the village of “Oak Tree”.  This group of people really desires to be taught the gospel and have asked us to send a team of evangelists to them. One of our pastors, Paulus, was planning to lead a survey team over there a few weeks ago to talk further with this group (it is a rugged five day hike), but they had to postpone as he has a bad knee and it was acting up on him.  They were hoping to get over sometime this week if his knee was better so we will appreciate your prayers for this team and this group of people.

Our sincere thanks and appreciation to you for your continued prayers, and for your part as we serve together with you to expand the reach of the gospel in Asia Pacific.

Blessings,

Ed n Jeanne Casteel