This is a quick request for prayer to anyone who reads this blog. One of our missionaries who also happens to be our school librarian/vice-principal/Bible teacher, was hit by a car yesterday while riding his bike. Both bones in his ankle are broken and surgery was done late last night. Prognosis is that he is off that foot for 3 months. He is a runner and we are praying for quick and complete healing for him. His name is Steve Larson and I ask you all to lift his need up to the Lord, also pray for his wife Martha. We are experiencing much opposition here in Newark, but the school year is going very well and each attack leaves us all more determined than ever to be the hands and feet and light of Christ in this city that God loves. I read the last chapter of Jonah today and prayed that we would have the same love for Newark and its people that God had toward Ninevah. Thanks for your prayers.

Let me tell you all a little about inner-city life. The first and biggest difference is in the amount of keys and locks in my life. I have a front door key and a back door key and a gate key. I have 2 keys that go to our Care Center. I have 2 keys for the school (I still don't have the school office key) and I hav 2 keys for Steve's office in the building. I have one more key for our house doors and an electronic opener for the school parking lot gate. When I leave my house I lock my back door and make sure I have both of my key rings. I go down 3 flights of stairs, undo 2 locks, and relock one of them from the outside. I get into and start my car, drive it toward the gate, turn it off, get out and unlock the gate, get back in the car and drive it through the gate, turn it off and get out with the keys in hand so I can lock it with my purse inside while I close and lock the gate from the other side, unlock my car, get back in, turn it on and go. I have a pretty funny story about it all: Several weeks ago on a Sunday morning, I went out for Dunkin Donuts and a newspaper. When I came back, one of the men who attend church at our Care Center was waiting for the pastor/missionary to come over and let him in. I kind of chatted with Bill while I went through all of the above steps in reverse. All of a sudden I realized I had just driven my car through the gate, left it running because now it was inside the lot, got out and went a locked myself out on the other side of the gate. I was now on the outside while my car, running with the door open, was on the inside. Fortunately the missionary-pastor came by a let me back in. I haven't done that again!
More on city life later.