Before anything else, we want to thank you for your prayers and support over the years. Many of you entreated the Lord for a companion in life and ministry for us, and the Lord graciously answered your prayers. The remarkable circumstances by which we met and married are a testimony to your prayers and the Lord�s faithfulness. We feel like the most blessed people on the face of the earth! We thank the Lord every day for the amazing gift He has given us in one another. Although our travels have come to an end, the honeymoon certainly isn�t over!
Shortly after our return, Dan went back to work for the family business, leading the crew of men cutting grass. Angie is not allowed to work in Canada until her permanent residence comes through, but she is greatly enjoying serving Dan as a homemaker and through correspondence with supporters.
Besides building a strong foundation for our marriage, our primary ministry has been one of encouraging the saints at Albion Hills Bible Church. Sharing meals with a number of the youth in the church has been a treat. In addition, we recently spoke on the subject of evangelism at a Christian fellowship group at the University of Waterloo. We look forward to more opportunities like this as we prepare for ministry in Senegal, West Africa.
And when, you may be asking, do we plan to be on the field? That is a great question! First, Dan needs to go to language school (Angie already speaks French). There is an excellent program in Quebec, which he hopes to begin in January 2006. Dan�s studies would be complete by the end of August, so our tentative time of departure for Senegal is Fall 2006 or Winter 2006/2007.
Our ministry in Senegal will be threefold: 1) Dan will be teaching theology to West African pastors and church planters at a Bible institute in Dakar. Angie hopes to play a similar role in the lives of the female students and the wives of the male students; 2) We will be involved in evangelism and discipleship within the context of our local church and community in Dakar; and 3) We will be supporting our students� church planting efforts in a particular rural area. This would take place a couple weekends out of the month.
The Lord has supplied wonderfully for our needs. We are currently nearing 50% of our support level, and CrossWorld would like us to be at 100% before we leave for language school. Raising over half of our support before January poses a significant challenge, since Dan will be working full-time well into the fall. In addition, his ongoing problems with U.S. immigration may prevent frequent entries into the States with Angie to visit potential supporters. In all these things, we trust the Lord to provide.
As for what�s around the corner for us, we are planning to attend CrossWorld Candidate Orientation in Bala-Cynwyd, Pennsylvania June 18-July 2. From there, we will be driving to Illinois, where we hope to meet with the missions board at our home church in Chicago (The Moody Church), as well as spend a few days with friends and supporters. Please join us in praying that Dan will have no problems entering the U.S.
Thank you once again for your prayers and support. They mean the world to us. Please stay in contact with us and let us know how we can be praying for you.
Your fellow servants in Christ,
Dan and Angie Thornton
P.S.: If you would like to become one of our regular supporters, you can do so by contacting us or signing up online at:
https://www.crossworld.org/ASPNET/OnlineGiving/OnlineGiving.aspx
You can also print out a Commitment Card and send it in with your gift.
Thanks!