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To our friends and family,
WE WISH YOU A VERY BLESSED CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR, AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR.
“Have you gone as far as your providential tether will allow in obedience to the Great Commission?” –C.H. Spurgeon.
Our providential tether has stretched as far as G. We have been in our new home for three and a half weeks now and we praise God for leading us this far. Over the past few years, as we have been working toward ministry in this place, we have certainly felt our personal and circumstantial limitations. In fact there were days when we felt our providential tether couldn’t stretch much further than our front door, but again we know it is God who has enabled us. And we thank you for your prayers also.
We have been slowly sorting out how our days here will work. We now have new ways of shopping, cooking, cleaning, schooling and doing church and also a very flexible time-table. We need wisdom in ordering our days and wisdom in choosing language helpers, as we have had a number of offers. We also need wisdom in making decisions about schooling for next year, as we are considering spending every sixth week in G.. (8 hrs west of here), where there is a day school that the children could attend. This would provide extra socialisation for E and X and a degree of accountability and feedback for V.
We have been very thankful for the warm welcome we have received from the various leading Bedouin families in this area. Not only have they welcomed us and offered to teach us their language, but they have also introduced us to other good contacts and invited us to visit their extended families in the bush. This has certainly been an answer to prayer.
After meeting B in a local store, one young man invited our family to his home to meet his mother and extended family. He also thought the children would enjoy feeding his pet gazelle! While B sat talking with the men outside, V and the children talked with the women and children inside the women’s house (and watched MTV Arabia). V was surprised to find that their girls speak some English (of course they would like to learn more). They have extended an invitation to V to visit them regularly. This is a significant praise point as it is difficult for V to meet women outside the home as they rarely visit public places. They live within walking distance of our home. This family is hospitable, wealthy, educated and influential. They also plan to introduce us to some of their relatives in N. when we are there in early January.
PLEASE PRAY FOR :
· The families we have met.
· Wisdom in choosing language helpers.
· Our future team mates as they study French in Quebec.
· Safety as we travel for a conference and as we meet people over this coming month.
· A good Christmas with family here.
· Our family at home in A over the Christmas period. It is almost a year since we left A.
· S’s skin. He has had a lot of trouble with eczema, infections and other rashes. It affects his sleep (and his parents...)
· General adjustment for E and X, esp. as school begins.
· The parents. (Physically, emotionally and spiritually).
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