New Dirt

Just a couple of weeks ago dump trucks were taking dirt away from the property. Now dump trucks are bringing new, better dirt to the property. This is important because Manta's soil is very sandy and it is located on a major fault line. We get to pay for getting rid of the old dirt and bringing in new dirt! It's exciting because we are getting closer to actually building something.

Happy Thanksgiving! Merry Christmas!

We have a lot to be thankful for. We enjoyed a super Thanksgiving holiday with some missionary friends--Joe and Sylvia Wells, and Stacey Smith. Our traditional turkey dinner was awesome!



Meanwhile, Christmas activities have begun at the church in Manta. The ladies held a five-hour seminar/luncheon/Christmas party at a local restaurant. Sylvia Wells was the guest speaker. There were games and a holiday choir. Everyone had a great time.

Sun and Sand Saturday

On Saturday we had a men's activity--football (soccer) and volleyball (ecua-volley) at the beach. When we schedule outings for the men's group, we never know how many men from the church will be able to get off of work in time or will remember the starting time. This was the best-attended men's activity so far. Sixteen showed up! Several of them were newcomers to the church. The team leaders did a good job of contacting the guys. We had a lot of fun, considering how many of us are somewhere over the proverbial hill. Ecuador has it's own style of volleyball. Each team has three men and they play with a soccer ball. It is not easy, and is especially tough on sand. The soccer was fun, and I even scored a goal! My first goal since elementary school! Besides the sports, we enjoyed ceviche, and had a short devotional time. It was a hot afternoon. Everyone was worn out by the time the sun went down. More than a few of the guys mentioned sore legs, backs, and shoulders on Sunday morning, but they also asked when we could do it again.

Clearing Land

The land is cleared and ready for the next step! It was encouraging to see the dump truck drive away with the last load of unwanted rubble. Now we are ready to see dump trucks drive in with loads of things we need. Please continue to pray for the building project for the church in Manta. We would love to be meeting on the property by June of 2009.

Not All Things Seem Good

In the past couple of months we have had at least our share of the flu. One week in particular the germs passed from Teddy, to Joy, to me and sent us each to bed in turn. It is no fun to be sick, to feel weak, and to have to be still.
Lately, one of the men in our church who had seen some tremendous changes in his life has struggled to stay free from the grasp of drug use. He has had a few set-backs. His wife is battling despair and fear that he is on another downward spiral.
Two of the couples who were important parts of the beginning of our church in Manta have been notably absent from the unity and fellowship with the rest of the congregation. The church continues to change and grow, and maybe that's an excuse from their point of view, but it is painful for me to see some of those who worked and contributed to the first steps in starting this church missing out on the joyful results and the excitement about the future.
All of these things seem negative in themselves, but I believe in the power of prayer and in the promise that all things, even those that seen bad, work out for good through God's providence. We count on your prayers for each of these concerns.

A Cold October Day

Weather and temperature are relative, right? Right! William and Mariselly (a married couple), and Denny (on the right) were baptized on Sunday after church. They and about 20 of our congregation braved the cold October wind (at least it seemed cold to all of us) and gathered on the beach. Baptisms are always exciting for our church. We sing a little, ask the new disciples to give a word of testimony, and pray as a group. Since we don't have a church building with a baptistery, we celebrate these public professions of faith in a public place. The sunbathers, strollers, and swimmers don't usually seem to mind our presence, and sometimes stop to watch or even ask questions. This time we weren't there very long. Once some of us were wet and standing out of the water we hurried to our homes to warm up!

Thanks to the Smiths for 30 Years of Ministry

Jim and Sharon Smith have been BBFI missionaries to Ecuador for more than 30 years. Now they are beginning a new phase of their ministry at the Baptist Bible Fellowship Mission Office in Springfield, MO. This month we who have had the privilege of being influenced by their lives had an opportunity to say, "Thank you," and to give them a good send-off. The photo shows Jim and Sharon along with their children Stacey and Zac. Joy took this picture after they had received the hugs and best wishes of a few hundred people at the end of a testimony service at the church they founded in Quito more than 25 years ago. Pastors and members of churches and ministries that have grown from that work were present as well.
I also had the opportunity to attend a retreat for pastors and church leaders a few days before the good-bye service. Jim was the conference teacher at the retreat. It was awesome to be able to share that time with three of the ministry leaders from our young church in Manta. I pray that they will be motivated to work faithfully for the Lord and to serve others just as Jim has done.

Women's Bible Studies and Men's Breakfast

This past Friday Joy started leading a new series of Bible Studies for women. There is always a good number of ladies interested in her study groups. This time she is offering an alternative schedule to be able to include more women and yet keep the groups relatively small. Each Friday she will be meeting with a group at 3:00 in the afternoon and with a second group at 7:00 PM. More than 30 are signed up for this six-lesson study.
We don't see as many men involved in Bible study groups, but we have had a solid group of 15 to 20 men participating in the 9:30 AM men's class on Sunday. Today we had a men's breakfast at our house and 10 came for fellowship and prayer. That is a good number, and we had a great time.

Teacher Training Seminar-2

Here is a photo of the adults and teens who completed the teacher training seminar in August. Twenty-one people received certificates. We are looking forward to their teamwork in children's ministries.

Housing Boom

Our son Teddy is in First Grade. Lately he has been learning about different kinds of houses seen in different cultures and climates of the world. For a special project he built a number of houses that looked like those he had seen in the pictures and on the maps he had studied. He used things in his room and around the house to do the construction. He also made a lion out of clay. He was very proud of his work!

Camp in Cuenca

August 10 to 16th I had the privilege of teaching at a youth camp near Cuenca, Ecuador. Joy and Teddy were able to go with me. In spite of the cold weather in that area and the high altitude (we had to find coats and sweaters and needed oxygen tanks), we had a good time. We believe that God had a purpose in putting these young people in our path for a few days. Pastor Yuri Alfaro and his wife Sara were our excellent hosts. The theme of the camp was "Be Radical" and we challenged the students to live radically for Jesus Christ.

Teacher Training Seminar

Each Saturday of the past month, Joy has taught our present and potential Sunday School teachers some basic elements for effectively teaching children in the setting of our local church. Each Sunday eight to ten people teach classes for children and early teens. We were very excited when the sign-up list included 25 names. Joy has worked very hard on this material, preparing visual aids (including PowerPoint), handouts, examples, and homework projects. The response has been terrific so far. The resulsts include increased effort in lesson preparation, more concern for classroom management, and greater variety in lesson presentation (even from the pastor!). The highlight was when one of the teaching teams used a Gospel illustration they had made to lead a boy in their class of older children to receive Jesus as his Savior! Needless to say they were thrilled!
The training seminar ends this weekend and those who complete the course will receive certificates. Pray for them as they study and teach. Pray with them for the children under their care. Pray with them and with parents of some of the kids who have trouble sitting still!

Baptism at the Beach

On Sunday, August 3, 2008, eight people were baptized in the "cold-ish" waters of the Pacific Ocean at Murciélago Beach. The five young people to the right in the photo have been a part of the church youth ministry for several months. They gave testimony of the decisions they have made to follow Christ at youth camp and because of the work of their mentors at church. The couple to the left have been coming to the church for five months. They were separated when they began to follow the Lord and have since seen their marriage restored. They also gave testimony to the patient teaching they have received from those in the congregation who have come alongside them on the road of discipleship. The lady in the green shirt is Mom to two of the teens. We pray that her husband will soon take the step of believer's baptism as well. We are very grateful for this evidence of good ministry being done during our four months in the States.

Summer Mission Teams

Summer is the season for church mission trips and other very short-term mission teams. In an exciting twist we enjoyed having two of them involved in our work at very nearly the same time. First, a medical team from ABWE was making a tour of Ecuador, and our sister church in Sangolquí (near Quito) was kind enough to send them our way to do a weekend clinic at the Travesía village mission. The visiting physicians and nurses saw well over 100 patients and helped to enhance the connection between the local population and those from the Manta church who minister in Travesía each weekend. They attempted to share the Gospel of Christ very simply with each patient. That same weekend a group from Capitol City Baptist Church in Lansing, MI arrived. Pastor Daryl Franzel and 16 other people from the church worked with us for a full week. Among the many ways they blessed our church and community was in building six tables for use in our Sunday School. The picture shows some of the younger children putting the tables to work as they fingerpaint. We are thankful for the service rendered by both groups. They were a blessing.

Family and Friends

At the end of June we got together with family and friends for our daughter Ashley's wedding. She and Shane Coston tied the knot in Knoxville, TN. I don't have pictures of the wedding to share yet, but may get them uploaded soon. This picture shows our family where we gathered a few days before the wedding in Pigeon Forge, TN. Left to right: Ashley, Shane, Lexi, Tony, Teddy, Joy, Johnny, Mike, Ioan, Amanda.
It was neat to spend time with our daughters, sons-in-law (present and future), parents, friends, brothers and sisters in faith for such a special time.
By now, July 13, we have been back in Ecuador for 5 days and are getting our feet on the ground. Today was our first Sunday back. It was awesome. We got to see the new apartments the church has rented for meetings. The building is slightly larger than our previous space, is more nicely finished, and costs considerably less each month.
We also got to meet several new friends who recently began attending the church. Some are brand new believers, and others who have gotten more deeply involved in the work during our absence.
Today a special lunch was prepared for everyone who came to church so that we would have lots of time for fellowship and conversation. We had a great time. I heard that there were 112 people present! God is good, and He is great!

Father Abraham

I haven't had a lot of time to blog lately; and if I had, many of the entries would be about the thousands of miles we have traveled, hundreds of restaurant meals, dozens of different beds, and visiting churches that are involved in or interested in our ministry in Ecuador.

One recent highlight for me was the arrival of our daughter Amanda and grandson Ioan from Korea. I hadn't met Ioan yet, and I was thrilled to hold him for the first time and have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him. He has a great personality, is easily amused, smiles and laughs at people, and only gets mad when the food bowl is empty, the bottle runs dry, or someone else has ice cream and doesn't share it with him!

Father's Day was neat in that I was with my wonderful wife Joy, daughters Amanda and Ashley, son Teddy, and grandson Ioan. My other daughter Lexi is busy studying and working in Kansas, but I heard from her by telephone. God has been very, very good to me!

I was thinking about something Saturday night that really made an impact on my heart. The biblical story of Abraham begins with him being called Abram, which, I have learned, means exalted father. Later, he is called Abraham, meaning father of multitudes. How ironic that a man with such names arrived at old age without children! Introductions must have been somewhat awkward:
"Hi, I'm Exalted Father."
"Oh, really? Nice to meet you. How many kids do you have?"
"Er, none, at the moment."
It probably caused him more discomfort when he switched to Father of Multitudes. I can imagine his mumbling and sheepish expression. I believe that he was often reminded of God's promises, and only through the eye of faith could he embrace the people called Israel and the huge of family of faith of which he eventually became the Patriarch. His grasp of God's promises makes him the head of a multi-generational, multicultural household of faith through Jesus by whom God has indeed blessed all people, and made Abraham's descendants like the stars of heaven in number.
I trust that he had a wonderful Father's Day too.

Church Needs to Move

Please pray for an urgent need of our congregation in Manta. We have met at the same building for over three years, but the owner has asked for us to find another location. We have been good tenants, paying the rent and utilities promptly, cleaning and maintaining the appearance of the two apartments and terrace. However, the landlord has been showing signs of wanting us to move for the past several months. The church has decided to find another meeting place as soon as possible and to vacate the building as the owner has requested. I am proud of them for not "fighting for their rights" and being willing to trust God for a suitable location. Please pray that God will quickly lead them to another site, and that the leaders will continue to grow in grace and wisdom during our absence.
Also be praying that this will create a greater urgency to build on the property that God has provided us. Joy and Teddy and I will be traveling for about five more weeks, visiting churches in the USA and attempting to raise funds for the building project. Please continue to pray that God will open doors and supply all of our needs. He has no shortage of resources and uses many channels to bless us for his own purposes and eternal glory.

Ashley Graduates

Ashley graduated from Baptist Bible College on May 15 with a BA in Missions and a minor in Children's Ministry. We are so proud of her! She has worked hard at her studies and to pay most of her own bills during her college years. Prior to attending BBC in preparation for church-related ministry or work in foreign missions, Ashley completed three semesters of study in nursing, gaining knowledge she has used in working at a local nursing home. Ashley and Shane plan to get married on June 27 in Knoxville, TN and will be living in Springfield, MO while Shane completes his studies at BBC. Please be praying for Ashley and Shane as they seek God's guidance for their pathway.

Mother's Day

On Mother's Day we were in Springfield, MO with Ashley getting ready for her graduation. We had plans to attend Seminole Baptist Temple in Springfield with Ashley and her fiancé Shane Coston. We were happy to learn that our missionary friends from Ecuador, Jim and Sharon Smith, and their daughter Stacey, would be at Seminole as well. Jim was to be the guest speaker in the Sunday AM services at the church. We had a further blessing when our daughter Alexis arrived to surprise Joy! She and her fiancé Jonathan Taylor had driven from Kansas City early in the morning to attend church with us. It was terrific to spend Sunday morning and afternoon together. We are very thankful to God for the strong, loving family he has provided us. In many ways Joy is the key member in holding us all together and encouraging us to build great memories and family traditions. I am very thankful for her.

Field Trips

During the past couple of weeks we were able to squeeze in an off day to visit a couple of interesting and fun places. While visiting friends in South Carolina, we took the opportunity to visit the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, NC. It is an outstanding place to learn about the great 20th-Century evangelist, his ministry and his message. I was impressed by a few things at the library. First of all, it is filled with Scripture: every wall and even the beams of the barn that houses the museum is covered with it. Secondly, Rev. Graham has had a ministry focused on the very essence of his calling to share the Gospel of Christ with as many people as possible. That is reflected in the use of video throughout the museum featuring clips from his messages at campaigns. Thirdly, his ministry has been powered by prayer from beginning to end. I'll admit that I have a special place in my heart for Billy Graham and his work because I gave my heart to Jesus at a Billy Graham Crusade at Shea Stadium in NY in 1970.
On a lighter note, our friends Tim and Debbie Gunter made it possible for us to take Teddy to Disney World's Magic Kingdom. We had a great time! It was fun to enjoy everything through Teddy's eyes. We are grateful to have friends who would encourage us to take a break from our usual travel routine.

Miles, Miles, and More Miles

Since my last post I have presented our ministry in churches in four states: Massachusetts, New York, Maine and Texas. We also squeezed a short visit to our daughter in Kansas into the schedule. I flew from Tennessee to Albany, NY in order to visit a church in Western Massachussetts and another in New York State. There was still snow on the ground but the temperatures had "warmed up" with highs in the 40's. After my return flight to Tennessee we all three traveled to Gatesville, TX near Waco for a missions conference. We thoroughly enjoyed the great hospitality in "The Spur Capital" of Texas. We visited a terrific museum in Gatesville that gave a wealth of information about life in Coryell County, Texas over the past couple of centuries.
We visited Alexis in Hutchinson, KS. She lives with my sister and brother-in-law and their family. We surprised Lexi; she didn't know we were coming. It was great to see her happiness as she hugged Joy's neck on the front porch. We got to spend a couple of days there; enough time to share a few meals, see her art on display at the local college, and encourage her a little bit. She recently had a car accident and is hunting for a new vehicle that will fit in her college-student's budget.
After returning to Tennessee, I got on a plane back to New England. This past Sunday I visited a church near Boston and another one in Portland, Maine. Both of these congregations have been part of our support team for nearly 20 years. We are very grateful for their faithful partnership in our work in Ecuador and for their ministry in their own communities.

A Week in Michigan

Well, spring hasn't yet arrived in Michigan. The tips of tulips are just starting to peek out of the ground to take a look, yet the snow was flying thick and fast just a week ago and the wind blew as March went out like a lion.
During our week in Michigan we got to spend a day with my sister, brother-in-law, and nieces in St. Joseph. A highlight was taking the children to a hands-on museum where Teddy got to slide down a lava flow, pick apples, and move a vehicle on the Martian landscape.
We visited three supporting churches during the week and were received with great hospitality. It is so good to see signs that we and our ministry are remembered in prayer by these congregations with prayer reports displayed and people picking up new prayer cards. One older gentleman said, "You have been on my prayer list for years. I pray for you every day." That is very encouraging because God's work is powered by prayer, and prayer is the main reason we work to keep the pathways of communication open with all of you.

East to West and Back

I'm finding it difficult to remember to post something each week. Since my last post we went to Bremerton, Washington which is located in the beautiful Puget Sound. From there you can take a ferry to Seattle. Pastor Craig Houston and his family took us to see some of the sights of the city and we spent a few hours enjoying the educational experience of the Seattle Aquarium, one of the best I had ever visited. (In the picture, we are in front of some fountains at the waterfront sampling Seattle favorites: rain and Starbuck's coffee.) Our host family, the Vinosky's were great! They gave us a driving tour to see some of the natural wonders of the Sound and its islands. Westside Baptist Church in Bremerton is an exciting and growing church that obviously enjoys great fellowship. Most people stayed around for a while after services talking with one another. We were the objects of great hospitality, food, and friendship. It was terrific to get to know this church that has been a faithful part of our support team for almost 20 years. We are happy that our relationship with them has grown and will continue. The church also pledged a generous contribution to the building project for the church in Manta.

We returned to Tennessee and enjoyed being there for the week prior to Easter. Our daughter Ashley took her vacation from school to visit us. It was great to see her! Then on Easter we had the privilege to attend services at Gospel Baptist Tabernacle in Crossville, TN with Ashley and Joy's mom and dad. Now we are in Michigan, preparing to visit two churches in Southeastern Michigan on Sunday, and another one on Wednesday.

In Manta

The people of the church in Manta are picking up the slack in our absence: preaching, teaching, planning and directing services, workin in Travesía, etc. We are thankful that we have so many who are willing and able to serve in these ways.

The attendance this past Sunday was excellent: 86, near our recent average of 90.

Pray for the situation regarding the border with Colombia. Our people desire peace and good relations with our neighbors. Also pray for Manta and the Manabí province. The season of heavy rains continues. Even Manta, usually very dry, has experienced unusual amounts and severity of rainfall. Many homes have been destroyed and the general health of citizens is threatened because of flooding and disease. I know that they are grateful for your prayers on their behalf.

This week 10 young people from our church are attending camp at El Prado. Please pray for their safety in travel and for blessing in their lives.

Thank you.

Whirlwind Travels and Conferences

We are just catching up with ourselves, our mail, and some of our suitcases. Not to mention our very-much neglected blogs!

Since my last post we have been in a whirlwind of travel and activity that I can only summarize briefly.

Joy and the other missionary wives who lead the Pastors' Wives Retreat gave a good report of the retreat held at El Prado Baptist Camp. Several of the Ecuadorian ladies mentioned that the fellowship, refreshment, and lessons were a blessing. Joy participated in spite of being smitten with the flu.

Upon ending the retreat Joy returned to Manta for Sunday services and then we packed for our trip to the States. We left home on Monday via Quito, and from there through Miami to Detroit, Michigan on Tuesday. What a climate change! It was about 10 degrees (F) in Detroit. We had felt that we were getting over our sickness, but by midnight Tuesday when we checked in to our hotel room we were exhausted.

Our first Missions Conference was at our home church in Flint, Michigan. We had a tremendous time of renewing our friendships there, catching up on news, and getting to know the new pastor and his wife. David Chittenden and Vicky are doing a great job of leading the church forward while keeping the outstanding emphasis of the church on world evangelism. The snowfall in Flint was a lot of fun for Teddy. He even got to ride a snowmobile!

Next we went to Knoxville, TN and another one of our favorite churches, West Park Baptist Church. This large and still-growing congregation treated us like royalty and provided many opportunities for us to share our vision for the work in Manta with small groups throughout the week and in the Sunday evening service. Several of the families of the church shared meals with us, and one family took Teddy to the circus.

Finally, we had a break in the action, and on Monday of this week I flew to Miami to pick up a car, and on Tuesday I drove it to Tennessee.

Pray for us this week as we visit a supporting church in Bremerton, WA.

Building Design

We have received some of the early plans and designs for the church building in Manta! It is very exciting to think about this actually being built on the vacant lot the church now owns. The part on the right would be built first. It includes an auditorium, a nursery, and offices. The building to the left would mostly consist of classrooms. This picture doesn't show many of the details that are yet to be worked out, but it is consistent with the basic concept we have had in mind since first seeing the property. Please keep this process in your prayers as we seek the funding for construction.

Tungurahua

You probably saw on the news that an active volcano has been erupting in Ecuador. The volcano is Tungurahua. It has been in a series of eruptive cycles since 1999. Every so often it punctuates it's unhappiness with an exclamation point. The mild activity most of the time has allowed the local population of farmers and villagers to stay in the area in spite of warnings from the authorities and scientists; so when there is truly cause for alarm it is hard to get them out of their homes and away from their fields and livestock. We ask for your prayers for those people who live in the immediate area endangered by lava flows and mudslides, and for those in the broader region affected by ash and cinder. Thank you.

Super-Duper Sunday

Sunday was a big day in our ministry. I know that in a week with the Super Bowl and Super Tuesday our excitement may not seem like a big deal to you, but we felt great about it. On Sunday, February 3, we celebrated the third birthday of our congregation. We had our first Sunday service on the first Sunday of February 2005. There were about 30 people there. Our average attendance is now over 90 so we have grown considerably. This years anniversary was during the biggest holiday weekend of the year in Ecuador, yet the terrace was full for the morning service. You can see a large portion of the crowd in the photo.

On Sunday evening we had an activity in the local park. God answered our prayers and the heavy rains we had most of the weekend ceased as it grew dark. We showed an exciting, evangelistic film, gave away copies of the Gospel of John, and even had an evangelistic Bible study with those who were interested. We can estimate that around 200 watched at least some of the film, and over 70 participated in the Bible study. We are praying that there will be lasting fruit from the event.

By the time I got home, the Super Bowl had long been over, but I had the foresight to tape it. Even though I was tired, I stayed up and watched it. I have been a Giants fan since back in the late 1970's; so I had one more thing to be happy about. It was a Super-Duper Day!

Sometimes Growth is Painful

Teddy is smiling a day or so after losing his two top-front teeth. That's part of growing up. There was some discomfort involved in the teeth being loose, and even more discomfort in pulling them (which he insisted on doing himself when he was good and ready). Now getting along without those teeth is a little bit awkward, but it will be worth it when those nice, strong, full-size teeth make their appearance.
Our church will celebrate its third birthday this coming weekend. We will enjoy looking back at how we started out and thinking of how much we've grown. Right now, our growth is a little bit awkward. We don't always have enough space or an adequate facility for all of the service we would like to offer and for the goals we would like to accomplish. Just this past Sunday we had over 90 again for the Sunday AM service. We've gotten used to handling 90 even though it means that latecomers have to hunt for a seat and don't always find one that offers a good view. We had over 20 men in the 9:30 AM Bible Study. That group meets in the small area off of the apartment's kitchen. That space is just about the size of a breakfast nook where a little dinette set would fit! That's uncomfortable, but it is part of growth.
We will face some more discomfort and awkwardness while we are building and before the full facility is ready, but it will be worth it. Some of the struggles will help our people to grow in their attitudes of service and responsibility. There will be opportunities to learn flexibility and patience. All of those things are good even though they come by way of inconvenience and trial.
Sure it hurts to yank out those wiggly baby teeth, but being able to bite into a crisp and juicy apple make it all worth it.

Ten Visitors

Last Sunday, January 13, we had a good-sized group in attendance for the Sunday morning service. The final count was exactly 100. That's an excellent crowd that nearly maximizes our available space. There were ten first-time visitors among the adults and teens. It was great to see the terrace filled to capacity. We are thankful for the numerical growth our church experienced in 2007 although it was a modest increase of 10%. If we continue to grow at even a moderate rate our new church building will be a necessity before we know it. Please be praying with us as we prepare the congregation to reach out to more people and to do so as ministering servants. Also pray with us about our building project: planning, funding, and construction.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch ...

We were absent from the church in Manta for two Sundays, but everyone pitched in so that regular services continued as usual. We are happy to have many people who are willing to do their part and are consistently involved in the ministry. Sunday School, village ministry, youth meeting, adult Bible studies, and Sunday services were all taken care of. I am truly grateful for the privilege we have of working alongside fine Ecuadorian Christians who are willing to use their gifts in service. We are all imperfect but redeemed; and we were unworthy and unusable, but we are now of great worth and very useful. There is a neat illustration of this in the little New Testament letter to Philemon where Paul describes the servant Onesimus, whose name means useful: "He was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me."

Christmas Trip

We were able to have some family time at the end of December. Joy had already gone to Korea to see our new grandson and his parents (ha, ha!) and Teddy and I went to the States. We spent a week with my mom where Teddy had some good Grandma Time. We reunited with Joy for Christmas in Texas and then went to Kansas to have Christmas with Ashley and Alexis and my sisters with their families. Ashley and Alexis brought their engaged-to-be future husbands along to join the fun! Teddy enjoyed getting to know his extended family even though all of his cousins are girls. It snowed in KS so one of Teddy's important goals was accomplished--to play in the snow.
I had the opportunity to report on our work to one of our great supporting churches in the San Antonio, TX area. It is always a joy to talk about the Great Commission during the Christmas Season when we all think of the "good tidings of great joy which shall be for all people."