Metropolitan Missionaries

Dear Praying Friends May 1, 2008
May 13 will mark our 30th wedding anniversary! How different that day will be than our
25th anniversary (May 13, 2003) when we found ourselves at the City of Hope Cancer
Hospital with Paula receiving her brother’s stem cells during her bone marrow transplant
(BMT). Humanly speaking it was that transplant that saved Paula’s life (we all know that it
actually was answer to prayer by 100s of believers….like you). In April of 2004 Paula
attended a huge celebration (3,000 attended) at the City of Hope for those who had
survived their BMTs. All the participants wore a huge button with the number of years they
had lived since the BMT – Paula’s had a large “1″ on it. This last week Paula attended the
same ceremony at City of Hope, however this time she gladly wrote a large “5″ on the
button. Paula’s joy was heightened by the fact that the doctors had cleared her to return
to Thailand where we can minister to OMFers but also celebrate our 30th anniversary in
our adopted “home”…we fly in a few hours!

When we were evacuated from Thailand in 2002 we had 3 days notice and so Paula did not
get closure and didn’t get to say good-bye to her friends. We anticipate that this will be a
very emotional trip and would like you to pray:
1. Paula’s health and endurance: Paula has been taking shots (all her previous
vaccinations were wiped out by chemo) and this has reminded us of the dangers of various
diseases in Thailand. Pray that Paula will have good health and no fevers. We face a 24
hour+ flight and so she needs extra endurance
2. Pray that Paula can see all her friends (thai and expat) without it being too emotional
or draining – she really needs to pace herself.
3. We will be mainly doing counseling with OMFers and helping put on a pray counseling
seminar, along with workshops, preaching and a trip to an orphanage. Paula will probably
lead some Moms in Touch meetings and training.
4. Pray that Andy and Amber will not have any problems with the home, cars etc. while
we are gone.

Kids News
Andy hopes to go to Quebec to receive his MDiv degree in a few weeks. Pray that all his
course work will be approved so he can get the degree and start preparing for France
Tim and Lydia will be leaving for 3 weeks to Albania and Turkey to see Lydia’s folks but
also spy out the land for possible ministry in that region in the future. Pray that God will
speak clearly during this time about their “niche” in that region.
Amber has secured a job to teach 3rd grade in the fall, and plans to work over the
summer in Lake City Colorado.
Titus will be working in San Diego over the summer. He and I are planning a long cross-
country flight in a small plane in June.

Champ and Cheese
I had a very sobering hour long conversation with a 15 year old Thai boy, Champ, whose
mother had fled to the LA after a divorce and had later sent for her children. Champ had
been taken out of his house and put in a foster group home for six months due to
violence against his sister and mom. I could quickly see that Champ was still a very angry
young man. Part of his anger was towards his mother who had forced him to come to LA
and now was putting him into a 3 bedroom house with 10 other Thai people. Included in
that 10 was his “step father” who during the time he was gone had brought in another
minor wife, her daughter and a bunch of kids. I talked with the social worker who was in
charge of Champ and could hardly believe the dysfunction of the situation. The one
glimmer of hope is that the mother has recently professed Christ. Do pray for the Thai
pastor as he seeks to get Champ and his family out of that toxic home. The only hope is
for God to graciously and powerfully intervene.

Encouragements
We recently attended a large OMF mission conference in our area and represented OMF at
Biola University. At Biola my workshop on human trafficking was not put in the
brochure/schedule. They simply announced it five minutes before it started during a
chapel service. I expected a handful to attend. To my amazement there were 110 students
in a room that was set up for only 70. I attended a 4 day Kairos course (Condensed World
Mission Course – kind of a mini-Perspectives) and hope to teach it to the Thai community
here in LA. My storying group at the US Center for World Mission continues to grow. Paula
will be doing a one day seminar on “Friendships” with Ruthi Curtis when we return as well
as the both of us speaking a Thai family retreat. Things are going quite well despite our
18 year old Buick giving up the proverbial ghost, leaving us a bit short on transportation.

We will give you a full report on our trip to Thailand when we return May 19th

In Him,

Larry and Paula Dinkins