Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!

Teresa and I, together with our children and grandchildren, want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas as you celebrate the riches of all that our Great God has done for us!! How blessed we all are because of this marvelous Story that began in eternity past!!  A big hug for you from all of us.  Know that we love you and truly thank God for your part in the work to see solid NT churches established among the P people.

Josh and Josie and their four children are still on medical leave from their country of service and we trust they will see improvements in the health of Josie, and their daughter Katrina, beforelong.  Thanks for your prayers for them as they journey onward.  We will miss them here in the North Land but thankful they can be together with family there in Wisconsin.

Jodi and Brent are here in Salmon Arm, BC to have their second child since medical services in their host country aren’t adequate.  We are delighted to be able to hang with them this Christmas and get to know our newest little grandson Hudson!  Jodi is due here shortly and your prayers for a safe delivery for mom and baby would be appreciated.  And yes, thanks for your prayers for them too as they continue on in life and missions.

Here is an approximation of how some of the Christmas Story from Luke 1 sounds in the translation of the beloved P people:

When Elizabeth had been full with child for six moons, the true God sent his servant to the town of Nazareth.  It’s true.  He sent Gabriel to the town that was located in the land of Galilee.  He sent him to a girl named Mary, to her who had never once slept with a man.  For she was promise-given to Joseph who was a descendant of the deceased David.  Precisely to him was she promise-given to become his wife.  And Gabriel, arriving to where she was, said to her:
—Look woman, be joyful, for precisely the Lord sees you with great compassion.  He is with you.
But when Mary heard these words, she really thought deeply wondering:  But what is he saying to me?  Why is this servant from heaven speaking to me like this?
But Gabriel said to her:
—Look Mary, don’t be afraid.  For the true God sees you with truly much compassion.  For you will remain pregnant and after a time has passed, you will give birth to a baby boy.  You will name him Jesus.  And he will be truly valuable / great.  People will say to him that he is the Son of the surpassingly great God.   And above and beyond that, he will live just as his deceased forefather did, sitting on a truly important seat / position.  It’s true!  By the Lord God causing it to happen, he will live as king just as his ancestor David did, becoming the king of the descendants of Israel.  He will live forever as their king, being a ruler —he said to her.
But Mary asked the servant from heaven:
—But how will I give birth?  For I have not ever slept with a man, not even once.
But the servant from heaven answered her:
—Look, the true Spirit will come upon you in such a way that you will be in the sphere of the surpassingly powerful God, in such a way that you will become pregnant.  Therefore, the child that you will give birth to, well, he will be exceedingly holy, being one who will not mix with evil.  And the people will say to him, “You are the Son of the true God.”  However, when you hear these words that I’m telling you, you could think that you can’t really become pregnant like this, that it isn’t possible, but know that the true God is easily able to make this happen.  And look, even your aunt has become pregnant not so long ago.  It’s true!  Six moons ago, Elizabeth also became pregnant. Even though she had become old, even when it didn’t seem like she could become pregnant, it happened by her husband, the true God having caused it.  And the true God can cause the same to happen to you even though you have never slept with a man.  For the true God easily does those things that seem like they can’t be done.  Even when there is nothing one can do, the true God does precisely what is needed, for nothing is impossible with Him —the servant from heaven said to Mary.
And when Mary heard this she responded to the servant saying like this:
—I am the servant of the Lord.  So may he do to me as you have said.  May what you have told me become fulfilled in me.
And the servant from heaven left her.

Thanks again so very much for your partnering with us as we continue to provide resource materials for the P churches.  And thanks so much too for your continued prayers for the P nation, for their spiritual growth, and for their homeland that is hurting so badly right now.

Rejoicing in the TRUTH of the Biblical record of what Christmas really is all about,
Merrill and Teresa