Greetings prayer and financial partners,

We thank God for the myriad of people who tell us that they pray for us and support us financially through Development Associates International (www.daintl.org). As we serve with our DAI colleagues (and the wider Christian community through Gordon College, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Urbana 2012), we are daily reminded of you, our partners who make what we do possible.

The past few months for both of us have included teaching, counseling, speaking, and spiritual direction. Ongoing work related to the DAI Masters of Arts in Organizational Leadership and one of our best-ever DAI staff meetings (below) have rounded out a full and fulfilling first third of 2012.

TURKEY TOP TEN:

The best event of the past few months was our DAI staff meetings near Antalya, Turkey in mid-March. These highlights give you an idea of what excites us most about being in this DAI team.

1. Turkey: the visit to this beautiful and interesting country where Europe meets Asia was a first for both of us.
   
   
2. Team Highlight 1: Paul joined the International Leaders Team for the days preceding the whole staff conference. These veteran leaders from India, Uganda, Australia, and USA gather with our President, Jane Overstreet every six to ten months to pool our wisdom on everything from staff health to expanded fields of service (like China and South Sudan). I (Paul) am privileged to be a part of this group.
   
   
3. Team Highlight 2: our larger group included DAI colleagues from nineteen countries including Mongolia, Indonesia, the Russian Far East, China, and even an Egyptian leader who had served in Libya! Hearing the testimonies of people like Roman, whose father and grandfather had been imprisoned for their faith in Siberia by the Soviet Union inspire all of us to faithfulness. And to know that Roman planted his first church at age seventeen reminded us all that God is not limited in His desire and ability to use us.
   
   
4. Touch time: although DAI functions as a “virtual organization” relying on technology to keep us connected as a team, we deeply value these face-to-face times when we can share stories, laugh, eat together, and appreciate each other. One of our personal highlghts was leading the team in a discussion of how we can better support each other. We thank God for this amazing team that includes pioneers and PhD’s, authors and trainers, people who have served the poorest of the poor and who influence the president of their nations.
   
   
5. Taking off: listening to reports about new expanding ministries into China, Mongolia, South Sudan, Sierre Leone, Myanmar, and throughout Latin America was both exciting (growth!) and challenging (limited resources).
   
   
6. Touring: although we only had ½ day in the Antalya area and another ½ day in Istanbul to tour, any place that we visit where the Bible actually happened is exciting. We’d love to go back some day to Turkey specifically to tour see the seven cities of Revelation (all are in Turkey)!
   
   
7. Training: much of the staff meeting concentrated on training on global fund-raising – so that every one of our Associates and Ministry Centers can increase their ability to raise funds from within their own countries.
   
   
8. Traveling together: traveling together for 11 straight days was wonderful, especially considering the amount of time that we are apart due to ministry travel.
   
   
9. Testimony: Dr. Christine Mutua of Kenya has joined our DAI M.A. Team. She lives in Tanzania where her husband serves on the staff of World Vision. Christine told us the following story:
   
   When she was a university student, Christine attended “Commission 91” – a student mobilization conference (like Urbana) held at Kenyatta University. We spoke at this conference, but more importantly, we through the generosity of our home church, Grace Chapel, provided all of the 1500 students who attended that conference with the book A Mind For Missions: 10 Ways to Build Your World Vision. Christine told us that “Commission 91” and that book changed the direction of her life. She started praying for the nations of the world and asking God where in the world he wanted her. Her testimony encouraged us deeply.
   
   
10. Time with younger leaders: of all of the staff meetings we’ve attended since we joined DAI in 1998, this was the most encouraging in terms of younger leaders joining us. We had the chance to meet with them informally and simply invite them to share their dreams and visions. Listening to the dreams of younger leaders from India (but working in Bangladesh), Russia, Cameroon, Uganda, Burundi, South Africa, and Flemish Belgium reminded us that leadership development is truly an investment in the future!

DAI STAFF AT ASPENDOS, TURKEY

PRAYER REQUESTS FOR THE MONTHS AHEAD:

Our schedule is at the end of this newsletter (or find it at www.borthwicks.org/calendar.php). As you pray for us…

• Please pray for our ongoing challenges of fund-raising, both personally and for DAI. With the challenges of the economic picture and the increased expenses of ministry (in our case, self-pay health insurance), we're asking God for new financial partners.
  
  
• Please pray as we prepare for DAI training in the M.A. in Organizational Leadership ahead: India in July, Kenya in August, Nigeria in September.
  
  
• And we always appreciate prayer for our personal spiritual growth - that we'll be faithful in our daily walks with Jesus.