December 21, 2011
I am now in Austin, Texas with our sons Philip and Paul and their families. I left Kuala Lumpur with Steve on December 5 after a long and productive time in Asia. We took a side trip on the way home with a seven day stay in Turkey. We explored Istanbul and visited the historical site of Ephesus. Most meaningful for me, however, were the two days we spent in central Turkey. We stayed in the village of Urgup, where my father's mother was born and lived as a girl. I kept imagining her from stories she often told us of her life there. It was here that she was introduced to and married my grandfather, an itinerant pastor. They traveled together by donkey to visit and minister to the Christians in Turkey and down into Syria. They fled to England with their children, including my father, during the time of persecution of the Armenia population. This was the first step which eventually led them to Lebanon, where I was born and raised. My grandmother lived with us until her death. She was loved and respected by all in the community. I have the privilege of having her Bible, which I carry with me in all of my journeys.
Just as my grandmother, as a young girl in a small remote village, could have never imagined how wide and far her influence would be. I too am in awe of the grace of God to have blessed me with opportunities to serve Him as an ambassador in so many places.
My mother-in-law's favorite song was "Count your many blessings, name them one by one." I cannot begin to number the blessings of this past year. I am so thankful to all of you for your faithful and sensitive prayer support. I am thankful for your investment of money to the ministry of Global Mosaic International and to my needs. My home church, Seaford Baptist, faithfully contributes to our work each month. I look forward to being there to worship with them. In Malaysia I have such dear friends who step forward to feed me, drive me, manage administrative needs, and sometimes make me stop for a rest. Thank you for being so sensitive and loving.
As dean of counseling studies at Alpha Omega International I rejoiced with the second graduating class of Master level students. I was able to be a part of the formation and inaugural meeting of the National Association of Christian Counselors in Malaysia. Through the dedicated efforts of a good friend and his staff, we have been successful in forming Global Mosaic Asia to allow us to operate more efficiently within Malaysia as far as banking, fees, and visa regulations.
We traveled to the Philippines for the first time and have laid the groundwork for a team from Trevecca University in Nashville, Tennessee to offer classes and training in April 2012. I continued throughout the year to present workshops, training, and consultations to the general public, churches, schools, school staffs, and universities. It is always an honor to be invited to such a wide range of venues.
We are most thrilled with the completion of the Bowman Counseling Suite. Please go to the page on our website which tells the history of this project.
