A Happy New Year and belated Merry Christmas to all! As with most of you, the past few weeks have been a blur of Christmas flurry for us but things are slowing down as the New Year approaches. We had wanted to post more pictures of Phil’s recent trip to Mozambique and the holiday festivities, but our camera is apparently missing. Comically, I thought Phil took it to Mozambique and he thought I had it here! When we finally got back together, we realized that neither of us knew where it was! Fortunately others were able to take pictures for both of us.
Phil’s Trip to Mozambique We are thanking the Lord for His hand of protection on Phil during his month long consultant trip to Mozambique. Here are some highlights from the trip:
* Visiting several people groups in Northern Mozambique to discuss strategy and to encourage the teams. * Spending a day in the Mwinika village where we work visiting friends and attending one of the believer’s meetings. It was short but sweet. * Participating in several days of field leadership meetings for South East Africa. * Spending about 24 hours in South Africa with good friends. * Finally, visiting Senegal (part of the West Africa field) for a few days of visiting and meetings. Where Next? We are enjoying having Phil home for this month. In a few short weeks he will be heading out again to West Africa for a month. He will be involved in meetings, workshops and visiting some church planting works.
Please pray for safety for him as he travels and for a beneficial and encouraging time for all who participate in these meetings and workshops.
Continue to pray for the kids and I. Just when we get used to having him back home Phil is off again. We are glad that this will be his last major trip for several months, but we are all thankful that he can travel and serve in this way.
Callie Update Many of you have been asking how Callie is doing. She is enjoying school and maintaining a good grade average. She continues with therapy – 3 hours a week – as well as 2 periods a day in school of intensive reading. These are working together to help her move forward academically. We are encouraged to see the growth and maturity in her over the past several months. We still have a ways to go but we are moving in the right direction.
Please pray specifically for her as she prepares for standardized testing (and therapy testing) in March. These will be deciding factors in whether she can get into Rift Valley Academy in Kenya where we’d like her to go next year. She is very excited about this possibility and prays every day that God will open the doors for her to attend RVA.
Thank you for another year of support in so many different ways. We realize more and more each day how God is using the prayers of the saints to move in our lives and in the lives of the Mwinika. Our hearts are anxious to get back to Mozambique but we are finding contentment in where He has us now!