Update on our trip

We just got done meeting with our Director of Global Missions at the church. She just got back from Central Asia and while she was there, she met with some of the people who will be key players in our trip in June-July. It was great to hear that we should be able to have internet access for our computer training, which will be a huge asset in helping us to be able to offer more skills to those we're training as well as be active in future trips by being able to "meet" from the United States if possible/necessary.

Our trip will be the first of several more trips in which we'll be teaching computer skills to believers in the area who will be assisting in church plants. The goal is to be able to give the church planters the necessary skills to be able to train others. We'll give them some of the basics while we're there, then the team going back this fall will be able to build off what we're teaching them, and so on. We're hoping to have at least a three-year partnership with the people of Kyrgystan and this has been a need that many of the people over there have asked for so this helps build relationships. Praise God!

Since internet will be so accessible, and since we will probably not be able to go back on most of the subsequent trips, we're excited that we can at least be available to stream video through Skype if need-be to help facilitate more training in the future.

Giving believers these skills will give them opportunities to take what they learn into the surrounding areas and villages to teach others how to use computers and to share Christ with them in the process. And since the ability to use a computer is such a desired skill set, this will be a great bridge to build future relationships. We're excited about the possibilities for the people we'll teach to branch out and teach others who will, in turn, teach others. We can't wait!

Mission Trip

Dear friends and family,

Can you envision a land where people of the modern world still practice ancient farming techniques using hand and horse; where families spend their summers living in the high mountains in tents, herding sheep and yaks? We want to share with you a challenging ministry opportunity God has presented to us. During June 24-July 10, we will be going to Central Asia with a small team from Biltmore Baptist Church.

Our trip will focus on the people of Kyrgyzstan, the second poorest country in Central Asia. The purpose of our trip will be:

-To train and equip local believers in computers and in teaching computer skills in order to give them a way to reach out to the primarily Muslim community/country.
-To go out into nearby villages to do hands-on teaching of computer skills such as Microsoft programs, email and web.
-To open doors to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a people group who is still considered “unreached”.
-To participate in exploration to lay foundation for future work in remote areas.

We are excited about the opportunity and experiences that lie ahead. We hope you see the value in what we will accomplish. As you can imagine, a trip like this requires financial support froma number of people. We need to raise $3,600 by mid-April and a total of $5,400 ($2,700 for each of us) by the dates of the trip. If you can support us financially, we would be very grateful. We also need your prayer support. Prayer is the fuel that will allow us to be successful as we follow God's leading in ministry. Without prayer, nothing will happen.

If you would like to be part of this mission through financial support, please send the attached document and a check to Biltmore Baptist Church, 35 Clayton Rd, Arden, NC 28704. Please make your check payable to Biltmore Baptist Church and include a note that says "Zoller: Central Asia". Do not write our names on the check. All contributions are tax deductible.

While money is important, we have a great need for your prayer support. Since prayer is so important to the success of this mission, we would like to know if we can count on you in that area. Enclosed is a bookmark that you can put in your Bible, on your bathroom mirror, on the fridge, or anywhere else you will see it at least once a day. Please pray daily for our involvement in this trip and for the people we will
be reaching out to in Kyrgyzstan.

Click the picture to see the bookmark and to print it out. :)

Locks of Love

A year or two ago, I was introduced to a wonderful ministry called Locks of Love. It's an organization that accepts donated hair to make wigs for children who have lost their hair. It's a tragedy that children of any age have to go through a serious illness, but to have their appearance completely altered by losing their hair can really affect their self esteem.

I decided last summer that I was going to grow my hair out to donate. It's been a challenge for me because I haven't had long hair in quite a while and usually when it starts to get an inch past my shoulders, it gets in my way to the point that I will cut it myself in a fit of frustration. But last summer I made a commitment that there were children out there who needed my hair and I vowed not to cut it until it was ready for donation.

Today was the day that I went to get it chopped off! It's amazing to me that something as simple as growing hair can be used to bring such joy to someone else. I know I will never meet the child who gets my hair, but I hope and pray for that child that it will bring them hope and a sense of normalcy. For more information about Locks of Love, please check out their website! www.locksoflove.org

Amber

Perks

So there are definitely perks that come with home ownership -- deductions on taxes, ability to make an investment, being able to paint or change things to our liking...

But another perk to home ownership that we have personally discovered is that we got a unit facing Lake Julian in Arden. Which means that we have an excellent view of the fireworks display from our bedroom windows.

And that is just awesome.

Happy 4th of July everyone!!

This is home...

Closing on the condo was quick and painless (no hand cramps or anything)! We are still in the process of unpacking boxes, but we took some pictures so you can get a general idea about what it looks like. Click here to see the pictures.

It's About Time

We've had a bunch of crazy real estate ventures this year. Lucky for you, we haven't posted about every single one of them or you would have nearly a dozen posts to read. Ha.

We finally found a condo we like and could afford and that all of the paperwork/bank/realtor/seller stuff all worked out on.

We are closing on it Friday, May 16th at 9 am. We hope to be all moved in that weekend and out of our apartment.Hooray! We're finally done house-hunting for a while!!!

Looking for the perfect casa

So we didn't end up getting the house from the previous post. We considered putting in an offer on the house across the street, but decided against that as well. We've talked about just renting for another year since the kind of house we're looking for is just right outside our price range but will hopefully be more doable soon.

Searching for a house is so stressful and time consuming, we look forward to the break.