Monday, December 24, 2007

Christmas Greetings

Dear Family and Friends,

As I write this letter, I’m thankful for the precious gift God gave us in the birth of His Son. Among other things for which I am grateful, I thank Him for my salvation and for the privilege of serving Him, alongside each of you who help me through your prayers and gifts.

I’ve been busy as usual throughout the past six months. Let me fill you in on some of the details.

  • The Ladies’ Bible Study that I am facilitating resumed in September. We are studying spiritual gifts this year.
  • One of the highlights of the year occurred in September when I attended the Maranatha Christian Writer’s Conference at the Maranatha Bible and Missionary Conference grounds on the shore of Lake Michigan. I went expecting to be challenged professionally and I was not disappointed. The spiritual blessing was icing on the cake. The conference was tremendous, the best writers’ conference I’ve ever attended.
  • Thank you for the cards and gifts I received for my October birthday. This was one of the best birthdays I remember. Our Bible study was scheduled for that evening. All of the ladies brought at least one fresh flower. They were then arranged in a vase by one of the participants, leaving me with a lovely reminder of each of those who participate in the Bible study.
  • October brought the opportunity to speak in one of my supporting churches in Rockford, Michigan. It was a beautiful day full of many good memories in spite of challenges faced by the church.
  • I made an unanticipated trip to southwestern Indiana for my Aunt Ellen’s funeral November 9-11. The weather was good and I got to visit with cousins I hadn’t seen in years, as well as some of my supporters. I stayed in my younger sister and brother-in-law’s remodeled house after one wing was burned out a year ago. I also visited a niece and her husband in their new home, attended the birthday party of a great-nephew, and spoke in one of my supporting churches, Fellowship Baptist Church outside of Jasper, Indiana. It made for a memorable weekend.
  • I’m thankful for the occasional freelance proofreading jobs for a major publisher I’ve gotten throughout this year. They are a huge blessing financially. They’ve also taught me many things that can be used in my ministry at Bibles International.
  • Work at Bibles International continues to be challenging and rewarding. I’ve been busy writing, proofreading, and translating a linguistics manual from French to English. The manual will be used to teach our national translators how to translate the Bible into their own ethnic languages.
  • I plan to travel to southern Indiana for Christmas, Lord willing. I would appreciate your prayers as I make the trip. Travel in Michigan can be tricky in December.

As we celebrate our Savior’s birth, may you know His presence and peace in your life. And may your new year be blessed.

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