A month or so ago, Emily joined a local Christian singing group called, “Salvation Echoes”. This is the third generation of singers, most of whom are from the Wala Language/cultural group.

The group has wanted to learn more about singing techniques and were excited to learn that Tim could lend them some help in that area. This week the group met at our house so Tim could coach them. It was a fun time and the group enjoyed learning some new things from Tim.

On December 9, 2007, the Wala New Testament will be launched. Emily plans to tour with the Salvation Echoes group throughout the Wala area ministering in song and with testimony as they encourage people to purchase the Wala New Testament and read it!

We have a new cat at our house – Rascal. As you can see it’s a rough life being a cat at the Matzke’s.

Rascal tries to catch a breeze by sleeeping in the window.

Tuesday was a big day for us. The Bible page written in Pijin that I have been working on was published in the newspaper for the first time. It will come out in the paper every Tuesday.

Four thousand copies of the Solomon Star newspaper are published on Tuesdays so lots of people had opportunity to read the passage from Genesis, contemplate questions on the reading and a short devotional. We’re eager to hear what people think about the new page in the paper.

My trip to Orlando had a wonderful bonus. I got to see the Space Shuttle go off. It was very cool!

It’s Friday morning May 24th. This afternoon I will be on a plane headed for Fiji where I will overnight. On Saturday evening I head out of Fiji for LAX, arriving Saturday afternoon – before I left Fiji.

I will be in the USA for about a month. The purpose of the trip is for me to represent our group at the Wycliffe conference in Orlando. As a side benefit, I will be seeing family and friends in Michigan as well as friends in California and Florida. At the end of June, I will attend the wedding of one of our Solomon Islands colleagues before coming back home home. While I am in the USA, I will have a cell phone and can be contacted at: (248) 730-5869.

We would appreciate your prayers for our family as we are separated. Tim will be busy with continuing to work on many important projects while single parenting.

One thing that missionary kids get a lot of practice in doing is saying good-bye. It is not fun and happens far too often. We’ve said many a tearful good-bye at this very spot in the International terminal.

A couple of weeks ago we took the girls out of school in the middle of the day for a trip to the airport to say good-bye to one of our colleagues, Julie. We first met Julie a few years ago when she came to the Solomons on a summer missions trip. Now she’s helping the Kwaio people translate the New Testament in their own language. She’s been faithfully doing it out on her own, but last year God blessed her with a wonderful Christian man and they are getting married in June in Illinois. They will be back here to serve together about a year from now.

Emily and Sarah wanted very much to see Julie off at the airport. Julie is a part of the extra family Jesus promised to those who leave their land and family to follow him.