Tom Lin

We are so excited to see the small WCCC team coming next month! There is much to share. The past 30 days have been quite full, and there is much to praise Dad for:

** LTC (LEADERSHIP TRAINING COURSE). Thanks for praying for this camp which Tom directed on Jan. 21-26. All 5 students who attended gained a vision for leadership as we studied Moses’ leadership. After the week ended, they officially “graduated” to become “cell leaders.” For pictures and more on LTC, go to: http://www.tomandnancylin.com/photos/2003_06/

At LTC, they also gained unity and depth in relationships. One student, “Terry”, missed the last 1.5 years of college due to lack of money, and her father had wasted away money that her family needed for food and basic necessities. She has also has kept past experiences of abuse to herself. At the beginning of LTC, she didn’t feel like sharing her life with any other students because she felt older. But by the end, she said “I feel part of the team, and I want to share my life with you all.” She’s also eager to prioritize leading new Mongolian believers this semester, even if it means forgoing certain job opportunities.

** TSAAGAN SAR. On Feb. 2-6, we enjoyed Tsaagan Sar, the Mongolian celebration of the Lunar New Year. It’s the biggest holiday of the year, and families spend weeks preparing for 4 straight days of eating, hosting, and visiting family and friends. In fact, all the stores in Mongolia closed for 2 days, which unfortunately, we didn’t plan for. (Luckily, our friends gave us some cooking supplies we needed).

** PRE-SEMESTER RETREAT. Immediately after Tsaagan Sar, our staff team led FCS “Chapter Camp” (Feb. 7-8) followed by a pre-semester retreat called “Cell School” (Feb. 10-12). You can see pictures and read about Cell School at: http://www.wccc.net/tomandnancy/photos/2003_09/ . We were especially encouraged that the following Saturday after Cell School, 5 of those students were baptized at their local church!

** THE PARK FAMILY. After serving as our team leader for the past 7 months and serving Mongolian students for the past few years, Mr. Park moved back to Korea 2 weeks ago. We’ve learned many insights on Mongolian culture and cross-cultural effectiveness from him. We also praise Dad for the wonderful friendship we’ve had and will continue to have with the Park’s. Many FCS students showed their gratitude by dressing in traditional Mongolian clothing and throwing him a going-away party. See pictures at: http://www.tomandnancylin.com/photos/2003_07/ .

Thanks so much for your faithfulness in thinking of us. There are many OTHER STORIES and pictures to share, including life during the Mongolian Winter and Nancy fixing our leaking pipes. To see all these new pictures, go to: http://www.tomandnancylin.com/photos/ .

- - - - - - - - - - MARCH REQUESTS - - - - - - - - - -

1. ANOTHER OFFICE NEEDED! Please be on your knees for our search for a 2nd office. Our current 3-room office (used as a student center) is not enough to host the many FCS meetings that occur throughout the week. For example, last Monday we had 6 small groups meeting concurrently in the evening. Two groups shared one room, one group met in the hallway entrance, and another group had to re-schedule! Please hope that we find one quickly, and at an ideal location (city center, next to universities).

2. LEADING NEW SMALL GROUPS THIS SEMESTER. Last week, Nancy began leading 3 FCS leaders through the gospel of Mark on Tuesday evenings. Tom will also prep the 4 Mongolian staff through Mark this semester. The challenge is that we’re going to try leading the Bible study in MONGOLIAN. Please pray for effective communication, and esp. for close relationships to form between Nancy and her 3 members.

3. HONG KONG STAFF JOINING OUR TEAM. We are grateful that on March 11th, Mesona Chan, a senior Hong Kong IFES staff, will begin a 2-year term serving FCS with us. Tom will have the responsibility of supervising her, and we both are looking forward to learning many things from her. Please be thinking of her cultural adjustment to Mongolia, her intense Mongolian language studies which will begin immediately, and trust and good teamwork to be built quickly between us.

With Love and Thanks,
Tom and Nancy

**For more general information about our work: www.tomandnancylin.com
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