Here are some specifics about our week coming up and how you can pray for us.
MondayWe begin week 3 of language class. Pray that we will learn new concepts/words quickly...for patience...and good study habits!1:30 PM (9:30 AM EST) - Bill, Cami and Ben meet with administrator and teachers at a school we hope they can attend in the fall (Háteigsskóli - How-taygs-skoaley)
TuesdayNational holiday - May Day (like Labor Day), so no language classBen's first guitar lesson since our arrivalBill continues training 'behind the scenes' at Lindin Radio for the weekly international program. (Special guests this week are Kim & Andy Bohon, newly arrived missionaries and daughter of the Fitzgeralds who started the station - 5-7 PM EST www.lindin.is)
WednesdayLanguage classBill attends prayer meeting
ThursdayLanguage classCindy has lunch plans with a young lady from our language class. 
FridayLadies Bible study - Cindy helps co-lead. Bill's sermon preparation with Helgi (who translates into Icelandic during the worship service)Have a blessed week. Thank you for your prayers! 

This week is a blur in many ways. It is hard to believe how quickly it has passed but I would like to share a few highlights.

On Sunday we had a send off lunch for our friends and co-laborers. Andy and Stevi Hansen and their daughter, Signy, have served in Iceland since 2004. They are moving to Staunton, Virginia, to take care of Stevi’s mother. Forty-eight people gathered for worship and the Hansen luncheon. Bill taught from Romans 1:8-16. We were delighted to welcome to the church new guests, Leenerd and Alise. Leenerd is from the Netherlands and was in Iceland for business. Alise is an exchange student from Latvia who is here on a work exchange program. Alise will be in Reykjavik for six more weeks.

Monday started our second week of language school. We continue to discover both the beauty and challenges of the Icelandic language. We are blessed that our sending church and organization are so supportive of our language learning. Two new friends came for a short but delightful visit (see previous post). We look forward to an ongoing relationship that we pray brings them to Iceland for a longer period of time to work with us.

Tuesday was a beautiful day in Iceland. The sun was shining, the wind almost nonexistent and the temperature was 12 degrees Celsius. Bill, Cami and Ben took a trip to the pool where Ben got a little sun on his legs! We had a great time doing some laps and then relaxing in the whirlpools. http://www.visitreykjavik.is/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-177/406_read-1469. 

Bill was a bit under the weather on Wednesday, but we pressed through our toughest day so far in language school. Bill attended a weekly prayer meeting. A group of about 20 people have faithfully prayed for God to move and bring a great revival in Iceland for the last four years. Bill was warmly received when he joined this group.

Thursday we awoke to snow falling. It was not much to talk about in the city but the outskirts got about six inches of new snow. Cindy’s highlight was when our language teacher talked to her after class and complimented her on her progress. Bill was not a part of that conversation for obvious reasons.

Friday gave us the chance to visit with new friends who just arrived in Iceland to live for the next two years. Andy, Kim and Luke (age 4) Bohon moved to Reykjavik from Texas and will be working alongside Mike and Sheila Fitzgerald, some of our dearest friends in Iceland. This is no surprise since Kim is Mike and Sheila’s daughter. Kim first moved to Iceland when she was 14 when Mike and Sheila answered God’s call to serve here. Now Kim and her family are joining the work once again to labor for our Lord in Iceland. Please pray for the Bohons as they make all the necessary adjustments to living here.

Please pray for:

1. Our Residency Permits and Kennitala to be granted by the Office of Immigration. We need these desperately.
2. Bill has a trip back to the States to secure our container for shipment. He arrives May 10 and will get everything loaded for Eimskip to ship on May 14. We are hopeful for a smooth transition. We have already been notified that the ship will leave Norfolk one week delayed.
3. Cindy and Bill’s language learning.
4. Cami and Ben to make some friends.

Some Praises:

1. Our visit and care package from Tim and Chris on Monday. A real blessing!
2. Our teaching at Emmanuel Baptist has been well received. We are ministering to about 40 believers now and sharing the gospel with 4 unbelievers who regularly attend.
3. Several new significant relationships that are developing to help us in the work here.

Last week began our new adventure of language class. Although many people have tried to prepare us for this formal training, you really have to experience it personally to fully appreciate it. It is much like having a baby, the experience is necessary to identify with others who have had the same. Some describe language learning as going back to kindergarten. To me, it felt more like the first day of high school when as an incoming freshman you feel intimidated, overwhelmed and cannot wait till the day is over. 

Since our first week of class has ended and we are already into the second, I honestly look forward to going to class. I realize most of my classmates are just as confused as I am and are learning about as fast, or slow. There are some exceptions: the Dane who has lived in Iceland for three years, and the Pole who has been here for four. They both already know a lot of conversational Icelandic. There is one very studious learner, my wife I am proud to say, whose study habits are to be envied and whose pronunciation is amazing. 

We had a delightful visit from our friend and cluster supervisor this past week. Mikko and his five year old son, Timothy, live in Finland and came to Reykjavik for a couple of days. We enjoyed some good times together that included a run and trip to a city pool. I later heard that the trip to the pool was one of the highlights for Timothy. 

Earlier today I welcomed in two new friends who had a layover in Iceland on their way to England for an Acts 29 Conference (www.acts29network.org), Tim Abbott and Chris Attwell. Tim owns one of the Chick-Fil-A restaurants in Stafford, Virginia, and brought us a suitcase full of goodies from the States. Can anyone say Chick-Fil-A sauce? Prior to Tim’s ownership of Chick-fil-a, he served in various churches as a student pastor and associate pastor. 

Tim’s pastor is Dee Whitten. Dee was the lead pastor at Mt. Ararat Baptist Church in Stafford for almost 15 years. He was the first pastor to welcome me to Stafford in 2000. I have always appreciated Dee and his leadership. Today he serves as lead pastor of Fairview at River Club (www.fairviewatriverclub.org).

Chris Attwell serves as lead pastor for PORTICO Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, and is the Mid Atlantic leader for Acts 29. I had not met Chris until today, but I have been praying for PORTICO Church since its beginning in 2004 (www.porticocville.org). In November 2011, I attended a service at PORTICO but had to leave soon after the service ended, so it delighted me to have a chance to officially meet a brother who I have prayed for for so long.

A big thank you to all our prayer partners and supporters. We serve together to reach the northernmost capital in the world with the grace and power of Jesus Christ.

There is a lot of information in this update, though parts of it you may already know. A few items are being shared again for the benefit of our newest Prayer Team members. For those who have been with us from the beginning (and wait ever so patiently for another update) and for those who are new --- THANK YOU for your faithful prayers for us. We could not be here without them.

Ministry opportunities

Bill is teaching every Sunday at noon at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Garðabær. Average attendance is 25. Most are believers from other countries, though at least 3 are unsaved and Icelandic. Two families drive a very long distance to get to the church. One family from the south drives an hour and fifteen minutes; the other couple (she is a believer, he is not) from the north drives 45 minutes. These could be two possible preaching points for future outreach. We are prayerfully giving leadership, training and direction as needed.

Cindy will assume leadership of a Women’s Bible study that already meets on Friday nights, with the intention to train one of the other ladies to lead it.

Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) Europe is planning to send a Bible study to every home in Iceland beginning October 2012, starting in Akureyri, the second largest city in Iceland. Their director has asked for our help in providing support for new church plants as they reach into the homes of Icelanders. 

Mike Fitzgerald/Lindin Radio wants to train Bill on the recording equipment so he can fill in if needed during the weekly International program. You can listen online at www.lindin.is every Tuesday 9:00-11:00 PM Icelandic time, 5:00-7:00 PM EST.

We will be starting a Bible study for university students in our home. A cookout and Bible Study will take place once a month through the summer. In September we will host “Bible Study & Brownies” every week.

We have visited SALT Church twice on Sunday evenings. It is a God-centered Lutheran churche in the country. Iceland Project missionaries have invested much time and effort into this church over the years. We plan to have more involvement here in the coming months.

Relationships

Bill has coffee on a regular basis at one of the cafes. Pray for the staff of four that he is getting to know, and that he will be able to share the gospel with them.

We have exchanged pleasantries with most of our neighbors and have a few names but have not had a significant spiritual conversation with them. Pray for us that we will be very intentional to reach out to them.

Blessings

The greatest bakery and pizza place are in the same building and within walking distance of our current home. The bakery opened about 30 years ago by German immigrants. They use only whole grain and natural ingredients. Their date and spice bread is amazing. We may need a line item in our budget called "Bread for Bread.”

We secured long-term housing in a strategic area of Reykjavík; we move in early June. After a unique application process we were chosen out of at least 18 other families who also applied to rent the home. Bill signed the lease with the owner’s father, Ingi. He is not a believer but said he was very excited for the work we were doing in Iceland, trying to start Baptist churches. Bill wondered how he knew what we were doing but was thankful for the warm welcome. Ingi said Iceland needs to return to the teachings of Jesus. Bill agreed and invited him to a Bible study. We later discovered that Tómas, the owner of the home, found an IMB video that was made while we were at the ILC in Richmond for training. Tómas and his wife watched the video and were grateful for the work we are doing. It is amazing how our God uses so many different things to bring His will to purpose.

There are two great options of schools for Cami and Ben near our next home. They will both attend whichever school we choose, as both schools go to age 16. One is within a literal minute walk of our new home. We have heard from Icelanders that it is a great school and it would be with kids in our neighborhood.

Current prayer requests

Kennitala and Residency Permits to be granted by Icelandic Immigration, ASAP

Friendships for Cami, Ben, and Alli