January 7, 2010 Greetings From Mexico, Thus far, we have had a colder and wetter winter here in Monterrey than what we have had in several years. I know that highs in the 40s and 50s may not seem cold to some of you in the States, but for us here, it's cold! The colder weather actually made this Christmas seem more "norma1." Despite the cold, wet weather, we are continuing to see the Lord bless in the work here. On December 20th, we had a tremendous Christmas program in the Bethesda Fundamental Baptist Church. We had an attendance of around 300. The program was a drama, showing the need to make room for Christ in our lives, especially during the busy Christmas season. The Lord also gave us a tremendous mid-week service on Christmas eve. (We have our mid-week services on Thursday night here.) There were over 200 in attendance, which is above average for a mid-week service. Afterwards, our family went to the house of the Mexican pastor, Juan de Dios Garza, and, along with several other families, had a good time of food and fellowship. Here in Mexico, Christmas eve is the time when family and mends get together to exchange gifts and be with one another. The Lord also gave us a great conclusion to the fall semester in the Bethesda Fundamental Baptist Institute. We had an average of 27 students in the various courses that were offered during the semester, which is the highest number of students that we have ever had. These students came from six different churches. 345 souls were won for Christ in the period of September to December by our Institute students. (We put an emphasis on practicing as well as studying the Word of God.) In January, I will be teaching the course on the book of Revelation in the Institute. Please pray for our Institute students, that those who are currently in the Institute will continue with their studies, and that the Lord would continue to send us new students. With the beginning of a new year, we are all bracing ourselves for the traditional increase in prices. Some of these have already gone into effect, and others are scheduled to do so soon. Overall, the economy continues to be bad, with a high unemployment rate. There is also the continuing problem of crime, and the on-going battle between the Mexican government and the drug cartels. Please pray with us, that God would continue to protect us, and that we may continue to freely preach the message of the Gospel, even in these perilous times. Our prayer is that each of you had a joyful, Christ-centered Christmas season, and that 2010 would be the greatest year yet for the cause of Christ here in Mexico and around the world. Thank you for your prayers, and for those who are faithful in supporting us financially as wel1. May the Lord richly bless each of you. In His Service, The
Bitners
Sent by: Calvary Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1345, Plainview, TX 79073
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