CHRISTMAS IN CAMBODIA!!
We are writing to you from Cambodia where we are enjoying the Christmas holidays with our daughter and family. Believe it or not, we are enjoying just a bit of “cold” weather….cold for Cambodia, that is. Yesterday was in the 60’s – as we shivered and enjoyed our hot cocoa, tea and/or coffee, it seemed quite December-ish!
We trust you are enjoying time with family and friends as we all remember WHY we celebrate Christmas, that the Babe in the Manger was born to be the Savior of the World! What an incredible message of HOPE we believers in Jesus have to share with the world!
We enjoyed a safe trip to the Philippines on Nov. 29th and came over here to Cambodia on Dec. 10th. We’ll be heading back to the Philippines on Dec. 28th and work on the Kalanguya and Ibaloi Old Testament translations will begin the 1st week of January. We, along with the Kalanguya and Ibaloi Translation Teams will surely appreciate your prayers as we set ourselves to this task of checking and approving Old Testament Scripture translation – it’s an awesome responsibility!
By now, you have received the “retirement” letter that was sent out by the mission with an added page of explanation from us. If you have any questions regarding our present status with New Tribes Mission, please feel free to ask. Just as a further word of explanation, New Tribes Mission’s policy is that when a member reaches the age of 75, he is put on retirement status. And Bob will be 75 on January 9, 2014. So our mission suggested we go through the “retirement” process at the end of 2013 since we would be in the Philippines in Jan 2014. Being on “retirement status” with NTM means that we are now considered as “volunteers” instead of “employees” by the federal government which changes our tax status only. In reality, it changes nothing about our actual activities, our working relationship with NTM and their relationship to us. The mission still processes any funds coming in for the support of our ministry and we are still recognized by the mission as being active members of NTM. Our STATUS is different……our ministry activities have not changed and NTM continues to stand with us. As one of our supporters put it, we are retired “on paper” only!
We trust you all have a wonderful Christmas! May God bless each and every one of you – we thank you for your support of us and our ministry – your contribution in gifts and prayer for our work is invaluable!