As she embarks into her next phase of life, we would like to bless her with a financial Love Gift. We invite you to participate by contributing to the gift. Please prayerfully consider how much the Lord would have you give. The different options for how to contribute are listed below.

We also encourage you to read this note prepared by Sung Kim, FSW Regional Coordinator. As you will see, Sung has been an important part of Elise’s work!

Elise’s journey to Cambodia with Evangelical Friends began as an FSW board member representing her local church, Granada Heights Friends. After a trip to Cambodia with several FSW pastors and leaders, she felt God’s call on her life to return to Cambodia for long term mission work (she served two years previously with another organization). During her time in Cambodia, she has been an invaluable member to the work in Cambodia using her gifts to minister to and teach young Cambodians. She also traveled to various Cambodia Friends churches to teach and encourage our local congregations. Her love for people and value for relationships spilled over to her care and support for our team in Cambodia, which will be missed.

All offerings marked “Paty Love Gift” will be passed on to her in full. You can:

• Donate online here on Elise’s personal EFM donation page.
• Donate by credit card over the phone at 303-421-8100.
• Mail a check marked with “Paty Love Gift” to EFM, PO Box 771139, Wichita, KS 67277.

Thank you for considering a love gift to Elise as she steps into this next chapter of ministry.

The post Bless Elise Lature (Paty) With a Love Gift! first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Hello, friends!

I am now one month into my sabbatical, and I am really enjoying it! I’d love to share some highlights from this past month, and share a bit of what I’ve been up to.

In case you missed my newsletter last month, here is a short recap… I am currently in the States on a four-month sabbatical. I have been in a long-distance dating relationship for the last several months, and my boyfriend, Evan, and I are taking this time to spend time together in person to discern our next steps. Evan lives and works in Virginia, so my sabbatical time will be split between California and Virginia. I am incredibly thankful to EFM for granting me this time, and for your prayers as Evan and I spend time together over these next few months.

During the first week of my sabbatical, Evan and I spent time with my family in San Diego and Orange County, and we had a great time! This was Evan’s first time meeting my family, and also his first time to California. It was a special time to finally be able to introduce Evan to my family, and to soak up quality time with them.

Before flying out to Virginia, we also had the opportunity to visit Granada Heights Friends Church (my home church), and they hosted a nice lunch for us afterward. It was fun to introduce Evan to my church community and to see many dear friends there. Though we didn’t have much time to see friends, we were glad to have dinner with the Kims and the Hoshis right before we flew out to Virginia!

For the past two weeks, we’ve been in Norfolk, Virginia, where Evan lives, and I plan to be here for another month or so. Evan works in international student ministry in residence life in a dorm called “The Globe” among international students who are students at Old Dominion University (ODU). It’s been really fun to meet many of his students and his community here! His community has been incredibly welcoming to me, and I’ve really enjoyed participating in his student events and meeting his friend and church community here!

I’ve really enjoyed the rhythm I’ve fallen into since being here in Virginia. I’m staying with Evan’s friends very close to ODU’s campus and also close to the Globe, so I am able to walk everywhere, and I’ve loved that (especially as the weather is warming up here)! I’ve also enjoyed using the university’s gym and library, and making the most of the time I have on my own while Evan is busy working. It feels like an ideal rhythm for my sabbatical to have some personal time for reflection and reading in the library, and to have a nice space to process my experiences and learn and grow in this season.

My sabbatical continues be a tremendous gift of time and space for me personally, and for Evan and me as we navigate our next steps. Thank you so much for praying for me and Evan, and for praying for my sabbatical. I’d love to ask for your continued prayers and we soak up this time together and seek the Lord for discernment about our future together. Thank you, friends!

Elise Paty

The post Elise Paty Sabbatical Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Please read her update below.

Evan and I met online last May and we have been dating long distance since then. Evan is from Indonesia and has been living in the States for the past several years. He is currently living in Virginia where he works in campus ministry with international students. It was really wonderful to have him come out to Cambodia for Christmas and to meet my community here, and we also had the opportunity to visit his family in Indonesia. We are really looking forward to spending more time together in person to give us space to discern our next steps!

Evan and me at Angkor Wat Temple in Cambodia.

It was so much fun to have Evan stay with the Swards during his visit to Stung Treng. We really enjoyed time together!

I’m extremely thankful to EFM for granting me this sabbatical. It’s a tremendous gift to feel supported not only in ministry but also in the more personal ways that God is leading me in this season. Part of my sabbatical will be time with Evan in Southern California with my family and around Granada (my home church), and part of my sabbatical will be in Virginia, visiting Evan and getting to know his community there. We are really looking forward to this time together!

We’d appreciate your prayers over this next season as we spend time together and discern our next steps. Please pray that we would continue to hear God’s voice and be sensitive to his leading. Thank you so much for praying with us!

We share this update with you because, as a part of the EFM family, we want to…

• Keep you up to date when there are significant changes in our EFM family.
• Demonstrate our care for Elise and Evan through this discernment process.
• Invite you to pray for Elise and Evan.

Thank you for your support, prayers and concern.

Because of Christ,

Stan Leach
Executive Director

The post News About Elise Paty first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.