The weather has been amazing this month, finally it started to rain a bunch, and it is nice and cool, our electric bill dropped quite a bit, as we don't need to use the air conditioner as much. Its been great for my productivity, my wife's as well, we are very happy workers when the weather is nice. I had to go to the hospital for a minor surgery, fortunately I believe my insurance will cover it, but while I was there, they put me in a bed next to a couple Muslim guys, and like usual, apart from the usual greeting, I let them start the conversation, but it quickly gave me an opportunity to share some the gospel. I think I made one of them cry, and I'm sure if that's a good thing, but I saw him doing his prayers on the floor after so I hope it is. Pray for these men, one is on his death bed, and is apparently a village chief, though he certainly didn't look it, guess sleeping in a public hospital with a bunch of other people really takes it out of you. I had a lot of time to pray and read, and think, and it was good for me. Before I left, God let me know that is was intentional and that it was him sending me back home. My family is healthy, Calvin's hand writing is getting better, and his logical reasoning is getting pretty good too. Abby is a smarty pants, and has very high emotional intelligence, she is very good at attitude and drama, so while that seems a bad thing, I am certain God will use it for good, and I am thankful for her and he unique personality. 

Needs
We have what we need for the visa extension and not it sits in the bank for 3 months before we extend the visa, once the visa is extended, we can use the money to buy plane tickets to america, but after our trip, we will need to put it back. We will hopefully be able to put a good portion back from our savings, but every bit helps, so thank you in advance for those who help us in that way. We will probably use something like 4000 dollars for the trip. 

Here are some things I've been working on:

Bilingual Reformed Hymnal System
I started this a long time ago but it quickly became too big. I still am able to utilize the work I have already done, but I am approaching it in a different way now. I decided to list out the song writers, and to my surprise there were not actually that many reformed hymn writers. I will dig for more later, and with this manner of organization I can add more later without trouble. But many of the writers wrote many songs, and I mean a lot a lot. I decided to include them all. If the writer is theologically sound, then all their songs are likely to be as well, so more is better. Then after organizing the songs, I will organize the sheet music and midi files for each. Midi files allow others to learn the tune of the songs, many of which will never have been heard before, and second, if a church or small group doesn't have a musician yet, they can just play the file, and set it up automatically. I don't know if this will ever be a thing, but I have led small groups singing songs over YouTube videos, so i think this is a step better. Then we will find all the Thai songs that have already been translated, and then we will fill in by translating one song at a time till there is nothing left to translate. This is a big project, and likely will be ongoing through my children's education, in fact, I imagine it will be a frequent homework assignment for my bilingual children, assignments that incorporate music. 

Sign making
Last year I wrote a small booklet about the meaning of different christmas symbols for kids, I will simplify that even further and make 3 different signs, one for the nativity scene, one for the christmas tree explaining the St. Bonifer story, and one for Santa clause, explaining the st. Nicolas story. I plan on using some printable screening sheets for tshirts, but onto wood that i have prepared. I will try to use 2 sheets wide so that the signs aren't too small. I will vectorize the images to make it look like its been wood burned or laser engraved, just don't tell anyone. 

Holiday kids books
I started working on a book about Squanto, even though thanksgiving is an american holiday, it is also a holiday that the kids will learn about in school, at least my kids who are in English program, so it is an opportunity to share the details behind the story, how God used Squanto to share the gospel with the natives. It is also a good lesson that we should be bilingual multicultural members of society ready to make peace between different peoples whenever we can, and the gospel enables us to do that. 

I am working on reworking the Christmas book for kids a little as well, tweaking it a bit to make it look better. 

Papercrete stools 2.0
So my original papercrete stools worked, but they take too long to dry and they compact too slowly because the water doesn't drain fast enough. I have come up with a better system using an oil drum and spacers, and a center piece covered with a plastic sleeve to allow for easy removal. This system allows for quicker drainage, and also allows for easy removal before it is completely dry so that the mold can be used again on a daily basis. I haven't got it completely set up yet, but almost. This system leave the center hollow which allows for quicker drying, a storage space, and less material use, although i don't have a problem with lack of material now. 

Soup can machine
Soup cans are a wonderful modular system, they stack on each other and are compatible across many brands, there are basically 4 sizes of soup can across all brands, and they stack. I make lids for them using 4 sized of hole saws, and that works great, I can make lids from a number of recycled materials very quickly and they look good. Then i paint the cans and they look like something nice. I might add bible verse stickers or vintage stickers of some kind to the cans, or ever spray paint designs using stencils, but the problem i have is even paint dry, so i figure, spray the paint on, but have them on a turner so that they turn until they are dry. I am making it with a piece of scrap wood an old bicycle chain and some gears i got for cheap, and ball bearings so that they rods spin smoothly. I think i can find an old used motor in my storage that turns slow intentionally, and that will be a perfect use for this machine. I might even be able to make it run on my v20 tool batteries. Then the whole thing would be very portable, and i could easily set it up inside a tarp for spraying and have no mess afterwards. 

Thanks
Thank you for everyone who supported me this month, it means a lot to all of us. In time we will see the results of our labor. Its hard work in Thailand, and it really is a long term commitment, but I believe that when God calls, our work is not in vain. Keep praying for us, and for Thailand. 

We've been sick again this month, lots of stuffy noses and mucus, but are starting to come out of it i think. Other than that, the kids are doing well, and business is okay. I've had some good conversations with people. It's rainy season here now, which is my favorite season here.

Needs
My parents have generously given us the money for the plane tickets in advance, which should be the amount needed to extend my visa. After I extend my visa, I can use that money, but by this time next year, I have to have it in there again, so I guess I shouldn't say I am completely in the clear, but we are good to extend the visa, and we have money to use temporarily. Thankyou to everyone who has donated to help us come home for a visit.

Here are some things I have worked on this week:

Reformation day book for kids
Usually I start working on something related to a holiday when that holiday is right on my doorstep. It may take me a year to get that thing done, so I've just accepted that this is ok, but I think I am going to put notifications a month before every holiday I want to prepare for about a month in advance so that I can give myself enough time to get ready. I know that this christmas I want to have a wooden sign finished that sits right under or next to our christmas tree that explains the history of the tree, but if i don't warn myself, it will sneak up on me. Fortunately most of my projects are 1 time projects or almost one time, which is great because growing is easy. That sign can be passed onto my children if i do it right. Regarding the reformation book, I have found that none of my students have even heard of the reformation, which i think is a shame, so this booklet will talk about what the reformation was, and its impact on various spheres of society, including thailand. I may touch on other asian countries like burma, india, and china as well, because the history there is similar and equally interesting. Basically, without the reformation, we'd all be illiterate, we would still be living in the dark ages, and technology would barely exist. But I will end the book on the most important note, the gospel, as given in God's word. 

613 levitical laws tract
I think this one has been a long time coming. Buddhism has 227 laws that are much stranger and seriously outdated. I think that the levitical laws are good and still good today. I believe this to be the position of the reformers, this is covenant theology. The reformers divided the laws into 3 categories, Moral, ceremonial, civil.  Moral being the still standing laws about right and wrong. Ceremonial being mainly symbols of the atonement which were completely fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and Civil, being the legal requirements and penalties under the ancient kingdom of isreal, but which should still be used as an example of the types of laws our governments should pass even today. I find that the problem with this break down is that certain laws lack a place. Particularly dietary laws, sanitation laws, medical laws, etc. So I would add an additional category (hope I'm not being heretical) which would be something like "practical rules" or the like, which are not really ceremonial, civil, or moral, but are still a good idea to practice, especially in light of medical science nowadays. So this tract will break down the laws into each category, with the brief verse mentioning them, and a short description. It will be a good way to explain how Jesus fufilled each and every ceremonial law, even the ones we still partake in like baptism, or the Lord's supper. I will also mention some misconceptions regarding certain civil laws that are often misunderstood, and examples of what laws like those might look like nowadays. I think this is going to be one of those difficult long ones, but it will be good and useful. I have an entire shelf full of these useful tracts now and I do find them useful. 

Why does God allow bad things to happen to ordinary people tract.
Last week I had a new customer who brought his children to study with me, when he came in, we talked a bit, and he came out very directly and said "My wife died last month" and explained later that he is searching for answers now, and sometimes goes into the church to listen and pray, but also sits in temples. He took some of my tracts, but I really wish I would have had a tract like this. He caught me off gaurd, and I really didn't know what to say other than "I'm sorry for your loss", and "I'll pray for you". The reality is that I could really make him angry if I was to talk about where his wife is now, but I think, if done right, that can be helpful. God may be calling his sheep to himself by drawing attention to the scary reality that awaits sinners upon death. That is the direction that the tract should go. Pray that I approach the issue with balance and sensitivity. 

Papercrete product prototypes
So far, my prototypes have gone very well. I managed to make a very large heavy looking but lightweight concrete lighting fixture that is now over my wifes counter. It feels like heavy foam, but is actually papercrete. It looks like cement, which is the look I am going for. It costs slightly less than it would if it were normal concrete because the amount of cement is less. Colorwise, the smallest amount of cement instantly turns the pulp that concrete grey color, function wise, i put enough in there to be solid when it drys, but not so much as to make it heavy. It is essentially like paper mache but with the cement as the binder. 

I also made a few smaller things, and then finished the inside walls of the cave under the kids treehouse. Almost finished anyway, have a small bit more to do there, then cleanup. That area will be Calvin and Abbys play room i think, and they will be in charge of it. I might put some kind of lock that they control so that they can keep their lego creations in there without worrying about my students raiding it. However, if the kids want, they can allow their friends in. 

I also made a very large papercrete stool, it is so big, it is still drying out. Now i have an even bigger one drying out as well. These are easy to make, the molds are reusable, and I think they could be a great seller. They are essentially big pillars that are round and tall like stools, but made of about 70-80% paper, so when they completely cure, they are light and still very tough. Because they are easy to make, I will be able to sell them for cheap, making them one of the cheapest things i will sell, and one of the biggest. I may incoorperate slots for boards so that the seat can be a bit more fancy, or they can be stacked to make really big shelves. 

Some new machines I've working on. 
Finished my mason jar blender adapter for our blender here. A lot of old blenders have mason jar compatibility, check your blender, you might be surprised, but ours, which is a very standard industrial blender here in thailand with cheap replacement parts available, does not, so I decided to make an adapter. It was a very fun and satisfying project, and I got to use up some old gears I was saving from other broken machines. It works like a charm, and now fang can make smoothies in customers cups without having to wash the blender every time she does it, and we can just serve the drinks in the mason jars that have handles. 

I also started building a sheet metal roller using some old parts I have, I decided it will double as a melted plastic roller too, so that I can flatten out hot plastic into sheets using the roller on top and the middle roller, and the bottom will be the 2 metal rollers and the middle roller will move downwards to form the bend as I crank the piece around. Metal rollers are expensive, so Its great that I happen to have the parts to make one without spending any money. Shouldn't take too long to put it together either. Another tool to the shop. 

American Passports for the kids
We went to Bangkok and had an interview at the american embassy, it was quick and easy, they basically said I provided more than enough evidence, and there was no need to worry. So within a couple weeks Calvin and Abby had their certificate of declared citizenship, and passports. I am very relieved. Its funny how I don't know how worried I am about something until its over. My wife knows me better than I do in this area I think. Next is Fangs green card interview, which if i understand right, will require an interview, and they will give a temporary green card, and then a long term immigrant visa. It's a pain, but she will still be in a better spot when its all done than i am even after 13 years in this country. They require me to be filthy rich before they will give me a long term immigrant visa or permanant residence. 

Memory Verse system for kids
So i finished the memory verse system for kids. Chat gpt is useless. I found out that it can only give accurate thai bible verses from the version i request, one verse at a time. If i ask for more, it takes the esv and translates it into thai. It is very frustrating, and we had several arguments before I gave up and decided to go back to doing it manually. It took a couple days to redo everything, but then i formatted the verses to fit one verse per page, thai on front, english on back, and gave it a trace the letters font. Now Calvin has plenty of copy work that is systematic enough that it can be shared with other. I will eventually have a worksheet drawer system in the front room where anyone can take worksheets for their kids to work on at home. Need to get the boy writing. Abby seems to know how to hold a pencil already, but Calvin can not, and its frustrating trying to teach him. He is always happy however, and is starting to make some progress. I will have to pdf file on my website soon after I get a cover put on it. 

Conclusion
God is good, and we are blessed to be where we are, to serve and share the good news. Thank you for praying for us, and standing with us. 

​

Hope everyone is doing well, I know I am. My personal favorite part of this update is that my son has started quoting scripture, and I do believe that speaking 2 languages has given him a wonderful memory. I pray that he has a foundation that is unshakable, founded on the word of God, and furthermore that he would be an example to others. Abby has begun to speak, she says peekaboo in Thai from morning til evening she never stops, everytime she sees anyone she peekaboos. She has learned the Thai bow, and greets customers as well. She also has learned to clap. She greeted me with a peekaboo yesterday followed by a bow, and then a hand clap. She also sings what seem to be some kind of made up tune, but its super cute. 

Needs
I have also petitioned for Fangs green card which will allow her to get a visa. There is a 5 month wait now, but at least its not 10 like we thought before. Then there is another 2 month wait for her visa. Please keep her in your prayers as well. The application cost an unexpected 700 dollars, but with your support that becomes 500. We need 2600 now. Seems like we are moving backwards, but I have to remember that unforseen expenses were always going to happen, even if i didn't see it coming. Thankyou for your support, it helps a lot. 

Writing
Because Calvin has started quoting scripture, i put a lot of work into the scripture memory verse lists, and decided to level them based on how essential they are. Each level will have 100 verses, and they are sorted into categories. So I have level 1 almost finished, I need to add 3 more verses, its going to be hard to pick. 

I have also spent time this month making a system of essential vocabulary, no more than 100 words per subtopic, but I want a way to teach english more systematically. There are about 150 prepositions in the english language, so i picked the most common and will put pictures with each, and hopefully this will serve as both a flash card system and a clip art system for illustrating the books. Its a bit large right now, and I'm looking at somewhere between 5000 to 50,000 words to organize, so I'll get a system going and every now and then add a subtopic, and hopefully this allows it to grow more naturally. I want this to be something useful for everyone, and available for esl teachers, but also gospel centered, and homeschool friendly. 

I have continued to work on writing the books, making them rhyme, covering all the important stuff. I also started a practical book for kids, introducing the imperial system of measurement for kids who grew up with metric, and why a base 12 system is possibly better because it divides evenly by 2, 3, 4, and 6. not just 2 and 5. I cover other practical benefits to the imperial system as well, including the benefit of fractions over decimals, and the natural division of sizes that developed over a long period of time. I am reminded that great missionaries build hospitals, printing presses, paper mills, write dictionaries, and more. We should show love in practical ways, so practical topics, creating systems and machines to help with efficiency in the future is needed. 

Teaching
This month I've had Calvin help me in class more. I have him wait to answer, he has had to learn to let the other kids participate first, then when they can't answer, he can. He does well with dramatic pronunciation for the other kids to see. I think he enjoys it quite a bit. He has also been walking around the house quoting bible verses, so when I can, I may ask a student what Calvin is saying, then we can talk about the fruit of the Spirit and what it means to be born of the Spirit and produce fruit uncommon in this world. 

Making 
I made a chair with a metal frame I welded up years ago, and its been taking up space, so I painted it with rustolium an milled up some mango boards and placed them in it as a seat, bolted it to the wall out on the side of the house. Hopefully that will be a nice place for the smokers to sit so that the smoke doesn't come inside. 

Today I need to do some concrete grinding on the pillars in front so that the neighbors gate will open all the way when we want to open the gate between out houses. Shouldn't take long, just need to remove about half an inch. The neighbors have a music school, so it would be nice if we can get that gate to open right, and when they are open at the same time we are open, their customers can walk strait into our house from theirs. The owner of that school is friends with Fangs older sister and he proposed that i do this a long time ago, but I haven't got around to it. 

Conclusion
Whatever I do, I'll do it for the glory of God, both while acknowledging God in my work, but also working towards the expansion of the gospel in every direction. I pray that an extra door open means something. I hope that is true for all my work. Thankyou for your prayers and support. 
​

Hi everyone, hope you are all doing well. This month has been stressful, but has ended very nicely. I got covid from one of my students, this is my second time, I had a small fever and lots of mucus, but it really wasn't bad, Calvin and Fang had similar symptoms, but Abby of course gave us a scare, this was her first fever, and we were relieved when she was herself again. The weather has cooled off dramatically as well, and fang has had lots of customers on weekends, and we got the very expensive electric bill paid early. I got a better electric valve installed for the sprinklers on the roof, which will cool the house more, and will reduce the electric bill dramatically. I figure we save 40-50 usd on electricity by shooting 6 dollars of water on the roof every month. The water drains off onto a wall that is lush with vines and moss now, which we like. Lots of very interesting birds have made their home next door recently, not sure if its the water, or the worms from the compost or both, but its nice. 

Yesterday a new friend of mine came to visit, he is thai, but has spent 25 years in america, while he was there, he became a christian. He found my paul washer video that me and a few friends had subtitled, and on my website he found out i was in nakhon si thammarat, his hometown, so when he and his wife and children flew here to visit their relatives, they planned to come visit us too, so he told his father that he was going to visit me, and his father being the southern thai, overly playful, far too direct type of guy (like my father in law) said "whats this american's name, maybe i know him" which of course is highly unlikely, but he did know one american, who teaches his granddaughter english, so to both of their supprise, it was me. So God is at work in this families life, and I shared with him for quite a while when he came to visit, how i have been sowing seeds of truth into his neices life. So pray for this family, and pray for my new friend, he is considering returning to nakhon after 25 years in america, and is waiting for the lords direction. I told him that I would be much more comfortable doing a church plant if we have a plurality of elders, especially being a foreigner. So who knows what the Lord is cooking up. If Teen comes back home and says he wants to plant a church at the same time, we are going to have to make it offical, that may be a bit hopeful, but i can dream right?

I am planning a trip to bangkok to do all of the paperwork needed for our trip, so that we can begin to look at airfare. Its looking to be quite a deal, but I will be super relieved when my children have u.s. passports, and my wife has a permanent u.s. visa that she can use forevermore. Please keep us in your prayers with regard to our trip. 

Needs
Citizenship declaration and Passports for the kids- 500 dollars for both kids
Visa for fang- 265 dollars for a type k immigrant visa (Which is a permanant visa, so the cost will be worth it)
Flights 3000 for 3 people 2 ways, Abby will sit on our laps. 

Thats almost 3800 dollars when you add everything up. And that's assuming we get good prices on airfare. We  currently have raised 850 of that. This is not including the regular monthly support I get from a particular supporter, however, when i am finished showing my money for my visa here for my visa extension, then i can use that money from that account for this as well. Currently that amount is 750 dollars, which does help, but I need that money for ministry expenses, and visa extensions, so i can only borrow that money from that account temporarily, but will have to put it back before next year. Basically i can use next years money for this years furlough, but it puts me in a stressful position next year. But after that is included in the amount, i will still need 2200 dollars at least. Every little bit helps, and we've managed to raise quite a bit already, but we still have a ways to go. If you would like to support us, you can send me a private message and I will respond with how you can donate. Thank you. 

Writing
I have continued to work on the childrens books, adding more as I can, i put in the time every day. I have also made strides in illustration methods with the software i am using, which will save time in the end. A friend here shared that missions is a marathon not a sprint, and we should pace ourselves, doing what is needed to stay. I fully agree, and it hit home. I run 3 kilos on monday, wednesday, and friday, mainly for health, but it makes for really awesome prayer and worship time too. Running is a great way to embody the frustration and stress that comes with missions, and then to recognize the great reward, yes, temporary endorfins, but more importantly, my heart and mind are strong, and those tater tots my wife makes me probably won't kill me. Missions, and the christian life in general is the same kind of long term investment, temporary pain, some temporary enjoyments that don't seem worth the pain, but followed by an eternity of joyful returns. If this life now is for me, and afterwards there is nothing, this would never be worth it. But we will receive our reward. We will run painless victory laps on streets of gold. So all that to say, i am keeping it steady now, this is a marathon. I put a little time into the writing, a little into homeschooling, a little into building a workshop, a little into fixing up the house for my mrs., a little into physical fitness, and possibly most importantly, a little time each day into time with my King. I have a bit of wall art in Calvin's bedroom i drew with a piece of chalk before Calvin was born that reflects this concept. 

Teaching
I've organized my students into 3 groups by level, and created new rules for myself on how I will interact with the students in different levels. I will use Thai to explain almost everything in the beginners group for example, and will allow students to use Thai to occasionally talk about the meaning of things, but will teach them how to use english to define words, so that by the time they get to the intermediate group, we can use english as our primary language of communication, and the student isn't completely lost. The last group is Fluency, and it is very satisfying to say that within only a few months, at least one of my students has gone from complete beginner, unable to say much in english at all, to now, i am considering bumping him up to advanced. I really do enjoy teaching, and I enjoy helping to encourage a spirit of creativity and curiosity in each of my students. By the time they disappear, they will not only speak english fluently, but will leave with a basic understanding of the gospel and the human condition, (as well as other things they won't get it school)

Making
I took my mouse apart and modified it to stop it from clicking when i scroll. I don't recommend trying it at home, if you do, the risk is busting the little clicker off its circuit board when you bend it out to flatten the bump with a pair of pliers, but it worked, and it has already increased the efficiency of my work. That combined with the bible app getting an update that makes mouse scrolling work properly again. I also built a menu stand for fang using a few new techniques, a countersunk bolt with a threaded insert, edge banding, and the legs are actually a branch that split into 3 branches. I sanded it all down and finished it nicely, and it matches the look of the place. It didn't take long to make, so i am getting faster which is important.  

Conclusion
We're working hard to share the truth in a place where it is seldom heard, we are working to provide for ourselves and hopefully others too as we grow. Thank you for standing with us as we move forward together. This weekend our place was swarming with people, and I just thought of all the potential this place has to plant a seed here, and there. Please pray for us, that doors would continue to be opened, and that we would boldly speak, and that they wouldn't freak out and vanish... which happens sometimes, and its bad for business, and its frustrating, its all about balance, and y'all know me, I ain't tickling no ears, ill be honest. Pray for wisdom for me in learning the ropes here, cause i'm still learning.

April is always such a difficult month for us. It is hotter here than i have ever experienced in my entire time here. Water straight from the faucet is usually cool even in the hot season, now its so hot you could boil an egg, it gets a bit better in the mornings and evenings, but its hot here. They turn off the water for a few hours during the day to conserve. On top of the heat, Students are on vacation, so i have to live on 30% of my regular income, and Fang suffers just as much or more. On top of that, we close shop for a few days due to a holiday, and then we clean house, getting ready for our observation of the Lord's Supper. Its a time when we go without leavened bread, and reflect on the hidden sin in our life, and the meaning of the Passover Lamb. Like the Israelites who left the comforts of Egypt and entered into the hot desert before they could enter the promise land, we are reminded that this world is not our home, we are just passing through, but praise God, Christ has made a way through the desert, and has prepared an eternal place for us. Its good to teach my son the meaning of these things, he participates with so much enthusiasm. 

Writing
I've been working on the same set of books, writing and refining, planning, researching, preparing the artwork, and checking with Calvin to test the simplicity of the books.

Teaching
Many of my students are on vacation this month, but with the students that do come i am busy teaching and taking every opportunity to water the seeds planted. 

Making
I added a few tie downs to the inside of the suv so i could strap in the water jug when we go fill up. Other than that, not much this month. However, i have spent time planning how a future business making things might work. Started organizing a sort of portfolio. 

Needs
We are still in need of funds for our trip back home next year. Right now we have raised about 800 of the 4000 we need to raise. This is including airfare and passports for our children, but is not yet including expenses when we are in the States. If you would like to support us, shoot me a message, and i'll give you a few ways you can donate. Thankyou to everyone who prays and supports us. 
​

​Passed the health inspection with flying colors, nothing to it, they barely checked anything, however they brought 10 people, typical government spending i suppose. So now Fang has her papers in order, and has permission to do business in the city. I am hoping they don't come after tutorials next. My class is capped at 6 kids per class, so by current standards, i don't need a licence or anything, if classes get above a particular size, ill have to apply for a permit to open a school or something, and that can get hairy. 

After passing the health inspection, we went on vacation. It was a very short overnight trip to a seaside resort that was somewhat affordable and honestly quite nice. I even set up my slackline and did some tricks, Calvin played in the sand, and Abby didn't fuss at all, i think she enjoyed being held the entire time. 

This vacation gave me time to reflect on the times i used to set up my slackline to share the gospel with those who would come to see. I spent time thinking about how far we've come, and ways where I've lost focus. Since i've got back, i've spent a lot of time thinking about how to be more intentional about sharing the gospel in my daily life, even outside the classroom setting, which i am comfortable with, whether hanging from a rope or eating a sandwich in the bakery. 

Teaching
Teaching Calvin how to write has been a goal of mine this month. He picked up reading so fast, and now i just give him a couple m&m's as a reward, and he's back every day and never gives me trouble when i want him to read. Writing is giving me a headache however. It's teaching me patience. If i am too hard on the boy, he freezes up and its then nearly impossible to teach him anything. It has to be fun, easy, and at his pace. There is an important lesson, that every student will pick up different things at different speeds. That's part of why homeschooling is a great option, because it allows us to go at their pace. 

Teaching students how to read so they can pass their entrance exams was another challenge i had to face at the same time this month. Some of my students who speak english fluently, still can't read, so their parents had them study with me 1 on 1 until they got a bit better at reading. I made a good amount of progress with these students, and they passed their entrance exams and interviews. This is important for me long term, because i will continue to receive new students from their parents recommendations. 

Learning to lay a biblical foundation and build on that every class has been a focus this month as well. Students continue to come to me with questions, and i am able to build on what we have talked about. Small groups like this are vital i believe. 

Writing
I've been working on a Missions re-evaluation mindmap, which has allowed me to put everything in its spot. It is helping me prioritize projects better, and remember why i am working so hard to do this or that. 

Using AI to help generate book art for the childrens books is something i've been playing with as well. It seems to work remarkably well, and I am excited to have yet another resource to utilize when trying to create artwork. I do like using older historical pictures when i can find them, and finding background images isn't that hard, and using Photoshop is a great trick too. This is just one more tool in my arsenal that i truly believe to be useful. And googles ai is likely to get a little less woke as well after all this pushback. I have found the bing ai image generator to be super good. 

After a lot of prayer and thinking through things i have decided to move back to tracts. I will continue to do the kids books, and the tracts will likely come much slower, but i do believe that there is a need for more. It has been extremely useful to have them to give people when i need them, and the concept is still solid, even if the content needs tweaking. I may even decide to add pictures or illustrations, even though originally i was opposed to this idea. I want to say that i believe that it is possible to do more, as long as i increase efficiency by organizing and systematizing enough. That has been a huge focus of mine this year. Abby will be crawling soon, so it will be much easier to get my work done, i remember this was the case when Calvin started crawling. 

The kids songs are coming too. I did get an audio interface to help me record higher quality audio. Hope we can make stuff for youtube that can bless a much larger group of people than my tiny influence here. With this stuff, it will have to be a focus on quality first, so i don't think we will be popping stuff out every month, more like once or twice a year. 

Making
We did have to add a grease trap under the sink in the kitchen, we were told that every restaurant had to have one regardless of what the sell. So i bought one and installed it, which caused a the washing machine to flood our utilities room, so i managed to Jerry rig a pipe to flow only one way and close with there was backflow, and that did the trick, forced it all in one direction, no more flooding.  

Redid my 2nd commandment icon on my 10 commandments lighting fixture in my classroom, quick project but now it is an icon of a Buddhist idol instead of the golden calf icon i had before, which was confusing, and i think i wasn't as bold as i could have been.  This should help eliminate confusion. I will continue to find ways to decorate my classroom with conceptual art that will help me to share an important concept. 

Worked on the treehouse a bit and now i'm almost done, maybe in a few more months i'll be completely done, it does belong on the back burner, because of what it is, but Calvin is growing up and the under side is still not finished, so maybe i need to buckle down and get it done. 

Built a roofrack on the vehicle using aluminum extrusion. Stronger, more useful in a wider arrange of applications, and cheaper. Didn;t take too long to make either. Now i can save money by hauling stuff on the roof by myself instead of paying the service fee to have things delivered for me. 

Needs
We are planning on visiting home sometime around this time a year, next year, so we need to buy tickets and get passports for my children, and save some money for travel. It's been about 10 years since I've been home, so there is a lot to plan. Please keep us in prayers, we think we will stay for almost 2 months. Thankyou to everyone who supports us for this trip. 

Thankyou for your prayer and support.