As we move closer to the first of the year, we are seeing more and more from each school about the progress of the work over the past year. We are planning to share news about the development of the overall program a few weeks from now. The news is always exciting to see and to recognize just how much God has blessed the work.
I encourage you to read the wonderful tribute below written by Keith Kasarjian concerning his father. I mentioned the passing of Luke Kasarjian in last week’s report. The tribute below is a great reflection of the character of Keith’s father, a godly Christian man who continues to influence the lives of many.
My Dad was one-of-a-kind and larger than life. Anyone who met him never forgot him. He was a conglomeration of many things that would be conflicting in anyone else. At times he was strict and at others he was downright silly. He could tell the corniest joke you’ve heard one minute and wax philosophical the next. He could irritate you and endear himself in the same span of time.
When I was little, one day while he, Brian, and I were playing on the floor, he lifted both of us off the floor at the same time and I thought that he must be the strongest man in the world. I later learned that probably wasn’t the case, but the years since have revealed a different, more important, strength.
He loved Mom and showed us how you treat a woman. And even though we didn’t like it at the time, he instilled in my brother and I a work ethic that has been good to us and our families. He loved sports, the Boston Red Sox, and FSU Seminoles. He loved to golf, watch the weather channel, and keep up with what everyone was up to on Facebook. He would laugh at the drop of a hat and he’d even drop the hat if he needed to! He loved God and the church and you could tell because those were often present in his conversation.
He was a very large social butterfly. He had an amazing ability to relate to, and get along with, people of all ages and walks of life. Whether you were 1 or 100, he could find something to talk about to you. And it also didn’t matter if you worked the drive thru window or you were the Mayor, he would treat you the same.
But perhaps nothing embodied him better than his hands. They were huge and they were strong. He could literally bring grown men to their knees and enjoyed doing so until his last day. Those strong hands also worked hard to provide for his family, they fixed cars, made household repairs, and disciplined sons. But those same hands were surprisingly soft. Those bone-crushing hands were often used to “high 5” a child and to give a big hug to someone and to let a baby wrap their hand around one of his large fingers while he talked baby talk to them. His hands were strong, but they were soft; they were hard, but they were encouraging; they were steel and they were velvet.
And that’s who he was: a man of steel and velvet. Yes, my Dad was one-of-a-kind and larger than life.
Keith Kasarjian
Now on to the other reports...
Coordinator Updates
Reports from the coordinators are now located on the website, under Staff Reports. The address is /extension-schools/
The latest report from Howell Ferguson can be read here.
Extension Reports
Physical And Spiritual Growth In Cameroon: To appreciate the efforts in Cameroon, please read the passages associated with the development of this week’s post.
Spiritual Strengthening, A Safari, And Studies: The news from Paraguay is exciting as the school progresses and the church plant is growing.
Conversion And Restoration In Nigeria: Eight souls were added to the kingdom and fifteen were restored as a result of the work at SWSE in Ibadan, Nigeria.
The Gaines Family Arrives In Tanzania: There is excitement in Arusha, as the Gaines family finally arrives to share in the work.
Just A Few More Days, Tanzania Chronicles: The Hochdorf report this week shares news of returning to Tanzania after their furlough.
Sadness And Joy At Kisongo, Tanzania: The report of a funeral in Tanzania is coupled with an overflowing building in worship. Read more about this event.
Final Thoughts
As we proceed through the final few weeks of the year, we ask you to be praying about the development of the Extension Program in the new year. As we move forward we are going to need your help in every area. Thank you for all you do to help this work improve and grow. We look forward to sharing the progress each week.
God bless
Bob