The past two months have been full of ministry and making memories. My mom has taught me many things in my life, but one of the things I thank her for the most is for teaching me the love of hosting others in your home. Often while growing up, my parents would volunteer to host visiting missionaries or evangelists, whether it was just to have a meal together or to let them have a place to sleep and rest. They moved into a house with an attached apartment where my father’s mother lived so they could take care of her. After she passed away, my mother’s parents came to live. When both of them also went to Heaven, my parents turned the apartment into a prophet’s chamber and had the opportunity to provide a nice, comfortable, safe place for a host of God’s servants who traveled through our area.

In the past couple of months, my home has been graced with many dear people. The first week of June, my ministry partners and I shared a meal in my home with Dr. Curtis Hall and Bro. Bob Gray, Jr. We laughed and laughed and just really enjoyed our time together. Two weeks later, my dear friend Amber Bosje, along with her children Nate and Alyssa—my Mister Blister and Pixie Girl, came to stay for a week before her husband brought a group over for a missions trip. Before the Lord gave me my daughter, He gave me two best friends who allowed me to love on their children as if they were my own. One of my greatest joys now is having my “kids” get to know my Evelyse. My heart just bursts to see them together.

The following week, Bro. Bosje brought a large group from a church in Oregon. One of the nights they were here, all 42 of us gathered in my home and enjoyed an evening of pizza and games. One morning we divided up into 5 groups and went to visit our faithful church members from both church plants. It was a blessing to distribute over 200 bags of rice to the members and their neighbors and have a time of prayer at each home. We were able to see several people saved that day. Many of the people on this missions trip were teenagers. I hope the time they spent with us made a lasting impression on them.

June 28 marked my 29th anniversary since going to the mission field. Seeing young people decide to dedicate their lives to the Lord’s service is such an encouragement to those of us who have somehow become the “old” ones. It has been one of my greatest pleasures and privileges to know and love Lauren Shook as I serve alongside her parents in the ministry. She has grown into the most beautiful soul, and I have no doubt the Lord will use her greatly in the future as He already has in our ministry here in Thailand. She will be attending Bible college this fall to pursue a degree in music ministry. Another young lady who has been an encouragement to me recently is Mariann Nixon. The day I visited her church 11 years ago, she felt the Lord tugging on her heart to be a missionary. Her mother sent me an encouraging message a couple of weeks ago, letting me know that Mariann is all grown up now and has stayed true to that calling. She is planning to attend Bible college next fall and pursue a missions degree. Her mother thanked me for staying faithful through the years and for making an impact on the next generation. As I see many people of my generation deciding to turn away from the truths they were taught, I am reminded of the importance of just staying faithful and not searching for a new way.

I trust the Lord will bless you as you seek to serve Him with your whole heart and stay faithful in what He has asked you to do. Don’t forget that you are never too old, and it is never too late to dedicate your life to Him.

Serving the Master joyfully,

Shari & Evelyse