By now you are aware of the widespread rioting in British cities now in its fourth day. Karen and I are safe, being several miles removed from the current trouble spots. Things can change in a moment, but we do not expect trouble to come our way. Everyone here is shocked and disgusted at the senseless violence, especially since most of the rioters appear to be young people aged 15 to 18. People point fingers in various directions, and no doubt there are many short-term factors contributing to the collapse of law and order. But I keep thinking about Proverbs 29:18–

Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law. (NIV)

Or, as another version puts it…

When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful. (NLT)

And boy are they running wild! The present phenomenon didn’t come about overnight. This society is broken. Britain has lost its way spiritually and has forsaken its Savior. Yet on the other hand it is enamored with so many things: material goods (hence the looting), the new atheism, American pop culture, the Twilight series, fame and celebrity, and the list goes on.

This nation needs help, God’s help. May He help us to be faithful to do our part.

We are enjoying free wi-fi in Toronto Airport as we wait to board our “red-eye” flight back to Birmingham. The last 3 1/2 months have been great–a birth, a wedding, good times with family and friends, a new roof on our Brantford house, some 21 church gatherings to share what God has done, and now we celebrate our 31st anniversary by traveling back to our mission field. Please continue in prayer for suitable renters for the house while we are in England. Once there, we will basically hit the ground running as we get reacquainted with friends in the church and the community. Today is also the beginning of Ramadan, the month of fasting for our Muslim friends. Many Christians pray in a special way for Muslims during the 30 days of Ramadan. If you would like to learn more, check out http://www.30-days.net/

Thank you for standing with us! We appreciate you.

George and Karen

Hi everyone! We want to announce our new website, georgeandkaren.info, and the retirement of our old website, we7kings.com. Now that we are empty-nesters, it was about time we had a new web identity. Some of our kids were feeling a little embarassed at the dated family pictures there. Anyway, this new website has everything that was on the old site as well as many new features. Enjoy!

Our 3 1/2 month furlough is winding down. In our Brantford house, there is a lot of painting and other improvements taking place, while we meet regularly with family members to make the most of this brief time. On top of that, we continue to speak at churches to tell them what great things God has done in our 3 years in Birmingham.

Please pray that we will have the expenses covered at our Brantford house while we are away in England. Pray also that we will be able to fully renovate the Al-Kitab website to increase its effectiveness as an international outreach tool. So far over $5000 of our goal of $8500 has come in. Praise God with us!

Karen and I return to Birmingham on August 1st. It will be hard to leave family once again, but it will be good to rekindle friendships we have in England. Thank you for your interest. We appreciate your prayers and support.

George

NEW GRANDBABY!

As I write this, Karen and I are in Evansburg, Alberta with our new grandson Simeon Wierzbicki. He arrived at 8am Monday morning, just as we were leaving for the airport to fly out to Alberta from Toronto. He weighs in at 7lbs, 1oz and you can view his pics on either Karen’s or my Facebook. Since leaving England one week ago today we have also been able to meet our other new grandson, Ransom King (“Handsome Ransom”) and get reacquainted with his older sister Ebony. Later today, I will get to meet Simeon’s older sister, 17-month-old granddaughter Sophia Wierzbicki for the very first time.

MARRIAGE, MINI FURLOUGH AND MANY HOME PROJECTS

May 14th is the day our youngest daughter, Angelie, marries Aaron Hamill in Kitchener, Ontario. We look forward to this special event!

We plan to spend quality time visiting friends and family, and speaking in churches for the next 3 months before returning to England. We also have several overdue home repairs, renovations, and upgrades to do while we are in Brantford. The list includes fixing leaky faucets, replacing a dead washer and dryer, drywall repairs, preparing the house for possible renters, and on top of that, obtaining a reliable vehicle for inter-city ministry travel.

WEBSITE WOES

Speaking of renovations… we are undertaking a major revitalization of the Al-Kitab Scripture Research Institute website which has been crippled for some time now. It was cutting edge technology ten years ago when it was launched but now it is woefully behind the times. We have already paid an initial deposit of over $2,000 to get the regeneration work going, and are trusting the Lord for an additional $6,500 to complete the project. We hear from new inquirers on a regular basis even with the problems the site is now experiencing, and believe that it is important that the work continue into the future. If you would like to donate to this specifically, just include a notation that it is for the Kings’ website ministry.

SUPPORT LEVEL

Speaking of donations, God has met our needs continually through the generosity of his people. Our monthly support level is officially at 89% translating to a deficit of $775 per month. We thank the Lord for our supporters and those who pray for us. God takes good care of us through you. We continually sense the power of your prayers in our lives and ministries. Thank you!