Sonia's Ministry with Street Kids in Costa Rica

We received an email from Pastor Sonia today. Sonia is our friend who has a wonderful ministry with street kids in Costa Rica. One of her ministries is a residential ranch where teenagers who have previously lived on the streets are able to reside for 16 months, learning several trades and receiving a lot of Christian nurture. At the same time, she works with the kids' families back home, attempting to reconcile the teens with their parents and siblings. Her email today was to share the good news that they are progressing with plans to expand the dining facilities at the ranch. This is a fabulous ministry that we love to support when we have a chance. We are hoping to take a mission team there next Summer to help with some of their construction work. Please pray for Sonia and her husband, Edwin, as they continue this vital ministry.

A proverb worth remembering

This proverb was part of my daily Bible reading a couple days ago, and it reminded me of how easy it is for us to participate in gossip, even when we don't want to. In fact, I've been a part of prayer groups that used the "sharing of prayer concerns" as a springboard for some of the best (or worst) gossip I've ever heard. May we all take this proverb to heart in a fresh way - "Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down" (Proverbs 26:20, NIV)

Great Visit with Chris and Eleanor

We enjoyed a great visit with Chris and Eleanor this past weekend in St. Louis. We are so grateful for the love they share with one another, and for both of them enjoying their budding careers. Chris is in his first year of teaching 8th grade math. It is exhausting to him, but also rewarding, and he is learning little by little how to handle the various dynamics of teaching, disciplining, grading, etc. Eleanor's research work with Washington University in the Botany Department continues to go well, plus she is doing a teaching assistant gig this semester. She is also training to run a half marathon in a couple weeks. Please be in prayer for Eleanor's father as he battles a very rare form of cancer which does not seem to respond to normal treatment methodologies.

God Percolating with Asbury Students Re. VZ

Last Wednesday night Nancy and I had the joy of speaking with a group of about 20 Asbury students about the work God is doing in Venezuela, and ways they could pray and think about partnering with God in that work. Through God's amazing grace, 5-7 men and women are seriously considering an exploratory trip to Venezuela in January to begin discerning whether and/or how God might want to use them to reach lost people there. God's continued provision that allows us to be used as small instruments in His hands to link people with the work in Venezuela and Costa Rica truly is incredible. It has been an enormous blessing to actually see what we envisioned as part of our ministry coming to fruition. Please pray for these students as they continue in their discernment process.