HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Dear ones,

I was just reading a book by Brother Yun, called Living Water. (great teaching book to go along with his amazing testimony, The Heavenly Man, highly recommend that you read them both!) A quote from his book:
Oh, if we would have a revelation of God's care and provision for his children, we would never be the same again! He is much better at running your life than you are! 'Humble yourselves therefore under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety upon him for he cares for you.' 1 Peter 5:6,7

We've just spent New Year's Eve thanking God together with our children for the amazing way he takes care of us. Zachary requested that we read the story of Gladys Aylward, a missionary to China in the 1930's, and the way God took care of her and 94 orphans in her care as they walked many miles to escape attack by Japanese warplanes. We are so thankful and humbled as we look back over our lives and this year in particular and see the way the Lord has taken tender, loving care of US. He is, indeed, "much better at running our lives than we are!" :-)

Tomorrow the 1st Jan 2010, is the graduation of the Bible Core Course. We are thankful for the privilege of imparting in these students' lives tools that help them discover more of HIM and his ways in His word. They are set for a lifetime of Bible Study, Practice & Proclamation!

Thank you for being part of what God's called us to here in Chad. So many of you have given sacrificially, prayed without ceasing and encouraged us along the way. We are grateful for the opportunity of working together in the harvest.

Many blessings and more adventures in God in this new year!!

Love,
Moses, Jo, Joshua, Zachary, Marianna, and Katelyn

PS Last night just after I wrote this we had fireworks in Sarh to celebrate the New Year. We've never had fireworks here before, but the president was in town so perhaps it was in his honor. Unfortunately, Chadians are much more used to war than to celebratory fireworks, and many people in the village ran away from their homes in fear, and hid in the bush until morning. I spoke to a friend in the market this morning, and she was at an all night prayer meeting, and they, too thought that war had broken out. We've been joking all day that fireworks never brought such revival anywhere else!!! We are thankful it was only fireworks, we've been especially aware of the tenous peace in this nation, seeing the heavy artillery security in town over the past weeks and this week especially. Keep praying for Chad please!