Happy New Year 2016!

The picture above was taken when we got back home from celebrating our granddaughter Kaylene’s first Christmas in Austin with Art & Lenn. As you may have heard in the news, El Paso experienced an unusual white Christmas this year. We actually had 8 1/2 inches of snow in our part of town over a few days!

None of the pipes or hose bibs froze or burst, thanks to the help of our helpful neighbor. (By the way, the nice car in the driveway is the Hertz we rented for the trip. Ours are getting too old for long drives.)

We really enjoyed getting to know Kaylene. She’s a little over 9 months old and quite precocious. Are we the first grandparents to say that of their grandchild? Probably not… 🙂 She warmed up to her grandma more quickly than she did to her granddad, which is as it should be, I’m sure (not that we’re competing or anything). Here’s hoping she’ll recognize us the next time we do Facetime with them.

Here’s a picture that Esther & Curtis shared with us of their Christmas morning in Nova Scotia. We hope you had a wonderful celebration of Christ’s birth with your loved ones.

As we say goodbye to 2015 and welcome 2016, let us just share one last thought with you from a cross-cultural church planter. Your partnership with us helps equip Latin American missionaries to share the Good News of “Peace on Earth” through Christ with people who will never hear and understand unless a team of Christ’s ambassadors goes to live among them and learn their language and culture.

“Last year the Tangguat people of Papua New Guinea weren’t able to celebrate the birth of Jesus with us. How could they? They didn’t know Him. But this year? It’s a different story. 

“The story of the Tangguat people is intricately woven into the backstory of what God first did among their Inapang neighbors. After experiencing God’s saving grace, the Inapangs partnered with the missionaries to reach their neighbors, the Tangguats. …  It brings a smile to my face when I think how this year the Tangguats can celebrate the birth of Jesus right along with us.” — Rosie Cochran

Here’s a glimpse of these precious people from PNG hearing God’s story of redemption from His Book.

Though unsettling things happen every day in our nation and in the world, isn’t it encouraging to know that as we meet with fellow believers at our church, newly born brothers and sisters of ours in other parts of the world are also coming together to worship God and receive teaching and testify of His great grace in their lives?

Only God knows how everything will play out on the road to the fulfillment of the prophecies of the last days, but we do know that “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

We love you! Happy New Year from…

Steve & Eida Irwin

New Tribes Mission
Spanish Language Resources
steve_irwin@ntm.org
Voice & Text: 408-515-1721
Mail: 1732 Night Hawk Dr., El Paso TX 79912