Our March Newsletter....for y'all in the blog world :o)

Dear Family and Friends!

Happy March to you! As the month of March has come upon us here in Cambodia, the weather gods have turned up the volume!! April, as it has been told to us, is the hottest and most miserable month in the year…and March is definitely bringing us closer to the hot season. Brian and I are doing well, health-wise, and are really trying to focus on our jobs and ministries here; we only have 12 ½ weeks to go! Although our minds seem to be wandering to thoughts of home quite frequently, we are passionate to “finish well” here. We have purchased our plane ticket out of Cambodia, and we will leave on May 30^th (the day after school gets out). We will make a short stop in Japan, as this is part of our route home. We are looking to arrive back in California sometime on June 6^th or 7^th. We cannot wait to re-connect, hug, spend time with, and talk story with all of you!

We want to write to you to ask for your prayer and support in an area that I know might be a burden to many of you at this time, and that area is finances. We are both well aware of the economic crisis happening in America, and that crisis is also having an impact on those living in Asia. Many of our missionary families at the school are having to re-evaluate where they’re at with support money, and some are even having to move home because a lack of monthly partners.

We have been so blessed by 5 families/individuals who have committed to supporting us monthly. Our immediate families have also blessed us beyond measure!! Brian and I are so thankful to these people, most of whom are making cuts in their own budgets in order to support what the Lord has us doing out here. I know you might hear this a lot, but we truly could not be here without the support these people have given us financially. We owe each of them a huge THANK YOU!!

Unfortunately, when living overseas, financial support is very much needed. The income we receive is ¼ of what we would make back home. Here in Cambodia, even with the support we receive monthly, Brian and I are still living paycheck to paycheck. There is no extra money; this has been very hard for us, especially living somewhere new where having some money might make things a bit easier. We have put all trust and faith in the Lord, however, and have grown immensely while seeing His provisions for us. That being said, we want to share with you our current needs, financially and personally. If you cannot help us financially, could you at least pray that the money would come in? We would greatly appreciate it!

Finances:

· We both need some dental work done here before coming home. This is VERY cheap to get done here, but like I said, we have no extra money. An estimated cost would be around $400.00 total for both of us to get cleanings, cavities filled, etc.

· We need some money to cover costs of coming home; this would cover the expenses of moving out of our home here, and it would take care of menial things once we get back home. We sold everything we owned to come here, and we will need a few basics once we get back to California. I don’t have an estimated cost for this.

· This is a more selfish request, but there are multiple things we have wanted to do and see in the city where we live, that we simply have not been able to enjoy because of our tight budget. We have a few more weeks off from school before the end of the year, and we would (selfishly) like to see some of the things around the city and country. I don’t have an estimated cost for this.

Prayers:

· When we get home, Brian will be going back to school full time. He will be working hard for the next 2 years to finish with his college degree. Please pray for all of the documentation and enrollment processes to go smoothly for him, as he is beginning this process overseas.

· Karie has begun looking for a job, and has not had many replies from people, even to say they are not hiring. She is looking for a teaching job, and if she cannot find that, she has begun to look at Nanny positions. Please pray for the job God has for her to show up soon! Bills don’t disappear once we get home, and we need to have the means to pay them ASAP.

· For our school here in Cambodia, Logos International School. They are still in the hiring process for teachers for this upcoming school year. Please pray that those who are called to live here would contact the school.

We appreciate you reading this letter, and partnering with us in some way or another… whether through prayer, giving financially, or even sending us encouraging words! We are grateful for each and every person we know! If you would like to give financially, please contact us for the address. If you would like to give to a specific need (mentioned above), or give anonymously, please indicate that with your check.
Don’t forget to take a look at our blog, which we update regularly! We love you and thank you in advance for your support,

-Brian and Karie Bourdet