Dear Friends,

we have arrived back home in Russia.  Thank you for your prayers; this trip was one of the smoothest ever.  No problems along the way, the flights were on time, all the luggage arrived, no hassle at customs, and friends were there to greet us at the airport.

We are tired, and we'll give you a fuller report later.  Right now it's bedtime in Khabarovsk. 

Good night,

Cecil

 

Russian to Russia

Dear Friends,

we've been busy with itneration, speaking as often as possible in churches across the Eastern U.S. Now we're preparing for our return to Russia. We have tickets to fly out of the airport in Greensboro on Saturday (December 8th). So now we're packing, putting things in storage, and getting everything ready.

As part of a home school cooperative group here, Tim and Diana were involved with a theatrical presentation called "Everyman." Timothy played Satan and Diana played an angel. They had a great time.

We've had contact with our ministry team in Khabarovsk. We're so proud of them as they continued the orphanage ministry while we were gone to the States. We look forward to seeing them again.

This coming trip we'll leave from North Carolina, change planes in California, fly to South Korea to change planes again, and then on the Khabarovsk (Home, Sweet Home).

 

 

On this trip we will be taking some video equipment for a Russian church's ministry. Please pray that the equipment arrives undamaged and there is no hassle at customs.

We have mailed out our latest newsletter. You can see it at

http://101649.agwebservices2.org/SiteFiles/101649/Content/Newsletter/NL2012November.pdf

Please also pray that we manage to finish closing up the house we've been renting, put everything in storage or in our suitcases, get the car in storage, have our documents in order, and get to the airport on time with our luggage!

Thank you so much.

Blessings,

Cecil

From the Mountains to the Sea

Dear Friends,

we've been on the run here in the States and have lost track of time. It's time for another email update from the Eshelman missionaries.

Mostly, we've been traveling and speaking in Churches. We've spoken at a XA student group, a Bible School mission service, Sunday Schools, and, of course, Church services. Mostly we've been in North Carolina, but so far we've spoken in Colorado, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee as well. We dress up in our "old fashioned" Russian costumes when we go to speak.

We were up in the mountains of North Carolina to speak.

And we got to speak at the Outer Banks as well. A little late in the season for most swimmers, but not for those who are used to Russia.

It was also good getting to see some folks on Hatteras Island we knew from when Cecil pastored a church there so many years back.

We have communicated some with our Russian ministry team in Khabarovsk. They continue to do the Life Skills lessons with the orphans. Please pray that they remain steadfast and that the Lord would bless the ministry there.

We have tickets to start flying back to Russia on the 8th of December. If Cecil wants to keep his Russian resident permit - and he does - we can't stay in the States much longer than that. So we'll need to make sure that everything is in order for us to leave, even while we continue to travel and speak. Please pray that we can get everything in order before we go back, there are so many details to take care of.

As an interesting note to those interested in Mars, one of the rovers was named by a Russian orphan:

http://www.space.com/18289-opportunity-rover.html

If you like to drink coffee, here is a web site to check out:

http://eurasiacafe.org/causes/life-center/

The Far East Broadcasting Company is doing work in Russia:

http://www.febc.ru/update-pdf/2011-3%20Update.pdf

Blessings,

Cecil

Re-entry

Dear Friends,

we're back in the States and spending time with family before we start to travel. We arrived safe and sound with all the luggage! We've bought a van and a cell phone. We have new prayer cards. Take a look-

In an effort to get over jet-lag, we've been going on hikes in the mountains. We thought that would keep the kids awake. Pretty good idea, but didn't work every time.

Next week we'll attend a family reunion, then we'll head east to our "home area" in North Carolina. After being outside the States for almost three years now, we're going through a touch of culture shock (or "reentry shock"). Some things are so different.

Soon we will be traveling, speaking in churches, visiting folks and raising support for the ministry in Russia's Far East. Back in Khabarovsk a team of local volunteers will be keeping the ministry going. Plans are for us to return to Russia in December. Please pray for the team in Russia to be empowered for the work.

We have an American cell phone now. If you want the number, just send me an email.

Please pray that we can find a place to rent while we stay in North Carolina. Right now we're not sure what our address will be.

We hope to see you soon.

Here's an short story of a Russian inventor who ended up killed by his own invention.

http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/photos/7-inventors-killed-by-their-inventions/valerian-abakovsky

This is perhaps the strangest trial I've ever tried to follow. It is a trail of a female punk-rock band that interrupted an Orthodox Church service to sing a song about President Putin.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/aug/05/pussy-riot-court-diary

Blessings,

Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Diana

Final Work Before the Return

Dear Friends,

we're sprinting toward July 18th, when we head back to see the States for the first time in three years. Looking forward to seeing family and friends again. We plan to take some vacation time, then head to North Carolina to start itinerating churches and reporting of the work in Russia.

Right now the girls are at camp. Timothy went to camp last weekend in Komsomolsk, and I ended up driving the six hours (one way) with a Speed-the-Light van load of wonderful youth. We had a great time. Tonya got to translate for me the three times I preached last week-end. The young people were incredibly responsive and the Holy Spirit moved among them.

Earlier this month we took a trip to the Jewish Autonomous Region (just west of Khabarovsk). We toured the museum that tells it's very interesting history. On Sunday I preached in a church that had born-again Jewish members.

After the service they took us to a picnic and put a hat on my head.

We participated in the "March for Families" that took place about a month ago. We were one of four families in the city recognized for having adopted a child.

As a note to homeschooling, we watched the transit of Venus. Although there were a lot of clouds, we got a number of clear views of Venus against the sun during the passage. Here in Northern Asia we were able to watch it from beginning to end. A couple weeks before that we got to watch a solar eclipse. Here's a photo of us viewing the eclipse by projecting an image through binoculars onto a piece of paper (note: the light part is the sun, the dark spot is the moon).

The "Open Heart" homeless shelter that we work with has had a number of young single homeless moms start to live there. The shelter's work certainly is expanding. They are building more rooms for mothers and families.

Be sure to check out our latest newsletter -

Our latest newsletter has just been written and printing is beginning. If you see any mistakes, please let me know right away and I'll stop the press to correct it.

http://101649.agwebservices2.org/SiteFiles/101649/Content/Newsletter/Newsletter%202012%20June%20pdf.pdf

Here's an amazing article about Russia's history, present times, and Khabarovsk. It's written by a Catholic priest and what he found after communism in Russia.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christophers/2012/06/when-the-priests-returned-to-russia/

We haven't seen smoke ourselves, but they say say there's fire.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/fires/main/world/20120626-russia.html

Abortions are all-to-common here in Russia. So we know many who carry feelings of guilt about it. This article shows a beautiful piece of art that ministers to many women.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/heart-rending-young-slovakian-sculptor-captures-post-abortion-pain-mercy-an

The girls have a great time playing hid-and-seek this spring.

Blessings,

Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Diana

Pic-Nic time (and more)

Dear Friends,

it seems like the pressure is on to finish up everything here so that we'll be ready to return to the States this summer. This will be the first of our three mini-itinerations.

I now have a resident permit to live in Russia, and this is wonderful since I can live here without a visa (much like a "green card" in the US). The one drawback is that I if I leave Russia for more than six months I lose it. Losing it would be a problem, so our normal itineration schedule will be broken into three smaller trips. We'll be back in the States for August to December this year, and then another trip each in 2013 and 2014. That gets a bit complicated to do all that relocating, but it's the best plan anyone can come up with.

Anyway, the rush is on to finish off our projects, hand off ministry to our partners here, make arrangements for our apartment, and finish the paperwork.

One wonderful blessing that we are having right now is Ashley. She's come from North Carolina to take over the homeschooling for four weeks. And she's doing a great job. It frees up some of our time, gives the kids a break from their parents, and adds to the quality of their education.

We would like to ask for prayer for Nicole, who is also serving with us. Her Aunt passed away, and being so far from the family at times like this is a hardship. Nicole is handling things pretty well, but we are praying that the God of all comfort with indeed comfort her and her family at this time.

Life Skills lessons for the orphans are the highlight of our ministry right now. Soon-to-be graduates from three orphanages are coming to lessons.

The Lord has send people from a variety of churches to form a really good team of teachers for Life Skills. We took our volunteer helpers on a picnic to celebrate the Lord and our calling together.

Things have developed to the point that the team plans to continue the work while we are gone this fall. Of course that is what we wanted all along. Since we will be gone they will need to find financial support from the Russian churches. So they will need to step up in every area of the ministry from leadership to planning to fundraising. Not easy. Please pray for them in this endeavor.

As our final big activity before our trip to the States, we are putting together a local conference for "Russia Without Orphans," a group that is building up ministries and families to take children out of the Russian orphanage system by providing foster and adoptive families. The obstacles are big, and the need is big, but our Lord is bigger still. Children were not meant grow up in institutions. God's design is for children to be brought up in families.

The orphanage we've been doing birthday parties with only had only a few birthday kids in May. So we decided to do something a bit different, and have a picnic by the Amur River.That's Ashley with the Campbell sweater on, and Nicole on the right. We're so blessed to have them helping out.

Cecil has received his Resident Permit, but it seems the paperwork never ends. Deanna has not yet received US citizenship, so we are working on getting her a visa to the States so we can all go together for our mini-itineration this fall. So we do have another special prayer request(s). Please pray for her visa, and also that her I-130 (for US citizenship) would be approved. Right now we are in the process of gathering documents to prove that she has lived with us for the last two years. By the way, she has decided that henceforth she her name is to be spelled "Diana" since that is how it is written on the official documents, although the pronunciation has not changed.

Oh, Timothy had his birthday on the 3rd of May. Of course, we had a party with some friends. He's wearing his "Super Tim" shirt that the girls made for him.

May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Diana

Red Letter Day

Dear Friends,

Today is a red letter day for me.

I wanted to send a quick message that today I received my Permanent Resident Permit. This is an answer to several years of prayer; not to mention filing of documents, medical examinations, waiting in lines, fees, meetings, and visiting government offices. We give thanks to the Lord for this answer to prayer.

This means that I may continue to live in Russia without a visa (as long as I pay my taxes, obey the laws, etc.). The main limit is that that I may not be outside of Russia for more than six months out of a twelve month period, which will mean my furlough schedule will be different than the normal rotation. If I hadn't received it, I would have needed to start getting visas to Russia, which would require me to leave the country at least once every 90 days. So it will save us a lot of time and money. Since the rest of the family has Russian citizenship, they don't need to worry about getting this kind of document.

Anyway, we wanted to let you know that your prayers have been answered! We will write again soon.

Blessings,

Cecil

Full List of Activities

Dear Friends,

thank you so much for your prayers. First of all, we've only had one police visit at Hope Center since we sent our last update to you. It was was visit from the special "department of extremism" and they didn't seem to find any problems. We did, however, have a local pastor who used to be a lawyer give the rest of us a training on how to deal with police visits. Anyway, things seem to be back to a normal again.

I have not yet received my resident permit. It seems the delay is caused by the fact that the person who is supposed to issue it to me has been on vacation for the last month. While making inquiries, we were told that there are "no problems" with it being issued. We're hoping that the permit will be given as soon. Until then, we continue to pray.

On Saturday we hosted the monthly Birthday Party (this time for the April birthdays) for a local orphanage. Songs, cake, games, presents and a presentation.

The children's basic needs are taken care of at the orphanage (food, clothing, shelter, etc.), but they don't have much extras. They get cake twice a year: during the orphanage's anniversary celebration, and during the birthday parties we host. 

The Life Skills lessons for graduating orphans has continued to go great. Lessons our latest lesson was on communication. We also have cooking lessons every week.

 

Yes, that last one's a skit showing how to communicate well (and how not to).

We truly praise the Lord for giving us such a good team to work with every week to teach Life Skills. They have various backgrounds and talents; and they love the Lord. We feel that they will be able to continue lessons this fall while we are back in the States. So far we don't have anyone to take over the monthly birthday parties. Please pray the Lord of the Harvest to put together a team that is willing and able to continue the parties, and provide the transportation for them?

The last year Nastia has been spending week-ends with our family. Increasingly this year she has not been coming, and two months ago stopped coming at all. At the orphanage where she lives she has been very rebellious and causes problems for the staff. The direction she has begun to take looks like a path of self-destruction. Would you be willing to pray for the Lord to touch her heart, open her eyes, and somehow save her from a dead end?

Sasha is a young man who graduated from an orphanage several years ago. Even though the law requires the government to give a living place to orphanage graduates, there is a lot of paperwork and waiting involved. As of yet he is living on the floor of a warehouse where he has a job. While his girlfriend was pregnant, he made a life-change and began to follow Christ. Before the child was born she broke up with him. When their child was born - just a little less than a year ago - she placed the baby in the orphanage system. While Sasha continues to wait to receive a living place, he is struggling to know what to do and how to be a father to his child. He doesn't want his daughter to grow up in an orphanage like he did. Please pray that Sasha would be given legal permission to visit is child and that he would get a place to live. We have gotten to know Sasha quite well since attends the same church we do and is there for every service that he can come to.

The beginning of April we took a weekend and headed north for a two-day ski trip. The kids all got lessons and learned pretty quick. I haven't been skiing for years, but it came back and I really enjoyed myself. Nicole came along with us. Tonya and Nicole became "ski bunnies" without the skis.

The kids also made some friends on the trip.

One last prayer request. While we should be preparing to return to the States to spend four months itinerating and speaking at churches, ministry opportunities keep coming up and we just don't seem to be able to force ourselves away from ministry. So... please pray for us to be able to let go of things here and focus on preparing for itineration, also, that we would be able to fill the schedule with speaking engagements.

May the Peace of the Lord be with you!

Blessings,

Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna

Things are warming up

Dear Friends,

last weekend the temperature finally rose above freezing for the first time this year. Yeah! And the temps have stayed warm, so now the snow is melting and making rivers in the streets.

Yesterday at Hope Center we had two different visits by police. The first was the local policeman who just came with some strange questions about whether we were involved with a certain Japanese cult, otherwise no problem. The second visit was with three women (two officers and a teacher); they were very hostile. It was during "game night" ministry and thankfully we had written permission from the parents of younger children. We don't try to get kids to come (we target orphan graduates), but some younger kids have been coming on their own. This delegation was investigating a family, and since their children attend our game nights, decided to investigate us as well. Tonya handled it, but it was very unpleasant and they made various accusations. So we don't know what is going on, but one of our volunteers said that with all the attention, we must be doing something right. Please pray that these visits from government officials would stop.

Today Tonya went to visit the family that is being investigated (she had visited once before to get a note from them). The mother is a widow and the children are ages 12, 7, and 5. She has a low-paying job, and often has to work during the game night times. She told Tonya that she really appreciates us letting her kids come, and they always come home happy from it. She also said the same officers that visited us came to her and told her that her parental rights would be terminated if she lets her children to continue attending the game nights without her. We hope she finds a way to come with her children.

By the way, if you think the threat to take away her children is simply an idle threat, you are wrong. Things like that happen here, and this family doesn't have finances or legal assistance to fight such a thing. Please read "The Orphan factory," which is written by a Russian, at http://orphancareresources.org/resource/orphanfactory

Five months ago I submitted documents to receive a permanent resident permit to live in Russia. This is my second try. Please pray that it will simply be approved without any last-minute demands. My temporary resident permit is only good for one more year, so getting a permanent resident permit is very important.

At the beginning of March, Deanna got a new "desk mate" at school named Dasha. Russian school desks are made for two students to sit side-by-side. Dasha and Deanna were good friends, and were glad to be assigned together. The end of that week was a holiday, with an extra day off from school. After the holiday Dasha's parents came to collect her personal things from the school. Dasha had gotten food poisoning and died. Deanna was shocked by the sudden death of her friend (as was the whole class), and is processing the finality of death. She now understands that any of us can be taken suddenly. Please pray for Dasha's family and for the class.

Our latest newsletter is posted on the internet. Take a look at http://101649.agwebservices2.org/SiteFiles/101649/Content/Newsletter/Newsletter%202012%20February.pdf

Tonya is asking for prayers for boldness. She's been facing various situations that require her to be strong. So please pray for her (and I) to be courageous.

We want to praise the Lord that we are seeing an increasing interest among believers here to start foster families and to minister to orphans. The Lord has given us a wonderful team of helpers, many of whom are developing ministries of their own. Your prayers are being answered. Thank you.

The Life Skills classes continue to go well.

Food is the favorite activity, but we also do other things every week. The latest activity we've added is knitting (can you believe they enjoy it?)!

A couple weeks ago a church invited our family to go on a picnic. It was a great time.

The food was delicious.

The icicle was, well, cold? (That's Vera trying out the plain-flavored icicle.)

By the way, we tallied up the votes, and photo number two is definitely the most popular ( see http://eshelman.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html )

There was an Orphan care conference in Cary, NC, called Pure Religion. For those who are interested, you listen to it at http://orphancareresources.org/resource/article/73798

We rejoice in the Lord for your interest in what God is doing in the Russian Far East.

In Christ,

Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna

Communists, Fascists, and a special prayer request

Dear Friends,

I have a special prayer request. Yesterday I got a call from the FSB (Federal Security Bureau) asking me to come in and talk about my request for a permanent resident permit. So I'll meet with him on Friday morning (which is Thursday evening in the States). Please pray for the Holy Spirit to give me the right things to say.

It is important that I get a permanent resident permit. My temporary resident permit is over in a year, and without a resident permit I will be required to keep leaving the country to get a new visa. This would be a major hassle, so this is a very important prayer request. The FSB can ask for me to provide more documents just before the deadline, causing my application to be rejected, which happened the last time I applied for a permanent resident permit. My present application will be accepted or rejected in April. Please pray that my application will be accepted and I will be issued a permanent resident permit.

Our Life Skills training for orphans is going full speed. The kids from the orphanage where we've been doing most of our work, and where the Orthodox priest has been against us, have been coming. However, in a different orphanage, one of the staff has been telling the kids we are a cult and putting pressure on the kids not to go. So none of the orphans there came last week. Please pray that the kids who would be blessed by this training would come.

Part of the Life Skills training that we do is cooking. The kids love it. One of our adult volunteers (in the photo below on the right) is getting married in a few months. She is very excited about the cooking lessons, and told Tonya, "now I'll be able to cook some things for my husband!"

We are starting to put together our next prayer card. We're trying to decide which photo would be best. If you have an opinion, let us know. Here are the leading choices:

1.

2.

3.

The first two are taken standing on the Amur River. Don't worry, the ice is about six feet thick.

Usually with AGWM a missionary spends four years on the field and one year back in the States on home service (usually called itineration due to all the travel). Since I plan to have a resident permit for Russia, and the permit will be lost if I am outside the country of Russia for more than six months, we have to use a different rotation. So we are planning to break our itineration into three smaller itineration periods. Right now the plan is for us to spend the fall of this year and the next two years in the States, returning to Russia for the springs.

So, if you'd like us to speak at your church, we're available during the next three Autumns.

Recently, Deanna needed a minor operation on her toe for in ingrown toenail. I was really tickled by the following conversation she had with the doctor:

Doc: This might hurt.

D: Don't worry, I'm used to pain.

Doc: What does your family do to you that you are used to pain?

D: Not my family. I used to live in an orphanage and they gave me lots of shots. They gave me shots in my arm, my butt, my shoulder ....

Doc: Those fascists!

Election time on for the Presidency in Russia. While elections in the States can seem like a circus, Russia has it's own interesting twists. My favorite is the advertisement by the Communist candidate. He is standing by a bust of Lenin, and he says, "God Bless You." If that's not funny to you, you must be too young to know what a communist is.

An Indian journalist gets lost in the woods near Khabarovsk. http://indrus.in/articles/2012/02/09/a_night_alone_in_the_ussuriski_taiga_14779.html

Peace be with you,

Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera, and Deanna

Lost and Found, Upside Down, Turn Around

Dear Friends,

well, some rather unusual and interesting events have taken place, and we're still getting back on balance.

LOST AND FOUND

On Tuesday last week (eight days ago), I went to the airport to pick up Nicole. She is a young lady who plans to study Russian at a local university and help us in her spare time. She was to fly from Chicago to Beijing, change planes, and then on to Khabarovsk. Well, the plane arrived, but no Nicole. I've had luggage not arrive, but never a missing person. Where could she be? I called her mom and was told that Nicole was on the plane to Beijing from Chicago, the the plane had departed late. The airline wouldn't give us information since we weren't family and would need a police order. The next flight from China would be in two days. Our best guess was that she was at the airport in China, but how to know? This was not the same as a missing piece of luggage.

I sent her an email saying that if she could get on-line, to let me know what's happening. I've never been to China, but I figured they should have internet there somewhere. What else to do? Well, we prayed.

That afternoon we get a phone call from a lady taxi driver in Novosibirsk. She was trying to help a lost American girl at the airport. Keep in mind that Novosibirsk is 2,000 miles away. Nicole had missed the flight to Khabarovsk (due to the delay of her first flight), and had been routed from Beijing to Khabarovsk via Novosibirsk. Kinda like someone (who doesn't speak English) being routed from Atlanta to New York through Los Angeles (with a day long layover in L.A.).

Well, praise God, we have a family with AGWM serving in Novosibirsk. So we made arrangements for this very helpful (God bless her) taxi driver to take Nicole to them.

Nicole is now safe and sound here in Khabarovsk. She spent the first few nights with us, but is now moved into her dormitory room, and has started classes. I try to warn folks who want to serve with us that once you launch out into an adventure with God, life is never boring. Usually, though, they don't have such a big adventure until after they arrive.

Her she is with next to an ice sculpture in a park near our house.

UPSIDE DOWN

In previous updates we've told about starting a Life Skills training for orphans. The orphanage we work with the most gave us permission to take the graduating class once a week for lessons (which includes cooking, general life training, and a movie). The first two lessons went well, but then suddenly - for three weeks - none of the young people came. Other events were being scheduled at the same time (going to the doctor, required attendance at a celebration, etc.). Slowly, we began to piece together what was happening. An orthodox priest and his wife have started doing ministry at this orphanage. He was putting pressure on the workers to get rid of us. The Christians there were quietly supporting his attempts to put us out. However, many of the staff there are atheists. The atheists on the staff like what we do and see that it is good for the kids.

As the low-grade conflict at the orphanage ensued, it put me in the most Upside-Down situation I've faced in ministry here. The atheists were pushing our ministry forward as the Christians were opposing it.

The director was getting it from the priest on one side and the atheist staff on the other. We decided we could not win by being the most clever, the most assertive, or the most right. The only way we could win was to be the most loving. This was the Lord's battle. So we just prayed and fasted.

We did, however, decided we needed to widen our net. So we checked with other orphanages to see if they would like to send their graduating orphans for the Life Skills training.

TURN AROUND

I never in my life thought I'd say this, but praise God, the atheists won. The kids we had been working with were able to come last week.

But, oh no, a new crisis. Two other orphanages decided send youth to us as well. Our program had to triple in one week. It was like when Jesus told the disciples to let down the nets one more time. The boat was so full it threatened to sink. However, this did not surprise our Lord. Our volunteer helpers were energized by this new challenge. We planned a new training station for haircuts in an office, had one person teaching how to make salads in the classroom while another was teaching how to cook in the kitchen. So last week we hosted 21 "students" for the training.

Please pray for us that they keep coming (lessons again tomorrow), and that we have enough volunteers for the task, and that the right atmosphere is created to touch the lives of these young people.

Deanna celebrated her 11th birthday (January 28) with a sleep-over. Cake, friends, dress-up, games, girl-talk, all the party stuff. The weirdest thing they did was fall asleep before midnight. What good girls.

There's a couple of web sites about the Assembly's Russia ministry at http://russiaministrynetwork.org/ and http://www.eurasiacommunity.org/ you might enjoy perusing.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna

Russian Christmas

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

Yes, today - January 7th - is Christmas in Russia. For those of you in the States, it's
Epiphany.

We had a white Christmas here. No surprise. This last week we had a really heavy
frost, the frost formed into large flakes on every tree branch. It was hard to photograph (white frost against a snowy background), but this might give you an idea.

During the New Year's/Christmas holiday Timothy stayed in a town south of here and took part in a Christmas play. He had two roles:

We had some girls from the orphanage stay at our place while Tim was away. I tried to get a group photo.

The Life Skills classes are off to a good start. I didn't get any photos of the lessons, but I'll try to do that soon. Please pray for this outreach to continue well, we expect it to put a powerful touch on the lives of those who are coming.

Tonya's arm is healing well. Should be back to normal soon. The girls were a great help while she was a partial invalid (brush her hair, fix food, clean house, etc.).

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna