NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER 2007 

This is a wonderful time of the year: a time when we are able to gather with family and enjoy God’s blessings together.  I think for us it is extra special because we were not able to enjoy family gatherings when we were on the field.  Our missionaries around the world do not make many material sacrifices in this modern era.  Most of them have the necessities and even some of the “wishes” of life.  The greatest sacrifice they make is that of separation from their families.  At no other time of the year is this separation more noted and felt than during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season.  God gives to our missionaries a “new” family in the brothers and sisters in Christ that they are able to win and to whom they minister.  This is a blessing, and the special holiday services are used of the Lord to bring souls into the Kingdom.  However, there is a loneliness that each family feels at this season.  Please make it a matter of prayer to ask the Lord to be with our families in a special way during this time of the year.

Special offerings sent to our missionaries, as Christmas Gifts should be marked so that the funds may be deposited in addition to their regular deposits.  Just mark your offering “Christmas Gift” so that it may be handled separately.  Gifts received by December 14 will be deposited on that day and gifts received after December 14 will be deposited on December 28, 2007.

Alan and Kathy Hart are on a six-week trip to Mozambique where they will hold special meetings and lay the groundwork for their future ministry there.  Pray for them that the Lord will use them to win many souls and establish the foundations for their long-term ministry of church planting and training pastors and teachers for the work.

The Bill Rose family will arrive this month from Spain for a six-month furlough.  Due to visa requirements by the Spanish government they cannot be out of the country for more than six months.  Pray for them that they will arrive safely from the field and soon be able to begin visiting their supporting churches.

A number of our missionaries have special physical needs at this time.  Phil Gagnon is recovering from surgery on his neck.  Doyle Whaley is experiencing breathing problems and is currently on oxygen 100% of the time.  Marcia Steffens is recovering from surgery and doing well.  Ernie Brown will have surgery following some tests on his heart.  Juanita Bowen will undergo surgery on her neck in the near future.  Marjorie Malanowski will undergo cataract surgery and John Malanowski will have surgery to remove a malignant melanoma from his back.  David McClure is undergoing tests on his heart following a suspected mild heart attack.  The following missionaries have ongoing physical needs:  Debi Harris, Mary Gagnon, Monnie Bacon, Gloria Higgins, Sandy Janky, Joe Hawkins, Sammy Jo Myers, Eliana Densmore, Amber Cato, Jane Mock.  Please pray for all of these missionaries.

Thank you for your faithful prayers and financial support for each of our missionary families and for the General Fund.  We appreciate each church and each individual Christian that makes our ministry possible.  May the Lord grant to each one a very blessed Christmas season.

Tommy Raley