Dear Friends and Family,

Well here we are again and at the end of another year! It’s a good time to reflect. For us, this year has been one of transitions. This time last year we were packing up to move to a country that we had never been to before. We were contemplating the need to learn a new language, a new culture, make new friends and start new work in a new team. All of these thoughts and wonderings are now a reality! God has been good to us as we have faced the ups and downs of these transitions. We now find ourselves operating in Spanish, functioning in the Peruvian culture around us and continuing to make great friends. Work is difficult but there are many rewarding aspects. God has been using us and it is a privilege to be serving him and the Peruvian people.
Over the past few months we have continued primarily in a learning role, however more and more we are finding ourselves involved in hands on ministry. We recently attended Peruvian national meetings for the church and had a great time getting to know some of the prominent leaders, sharing their vision for the church and planning for the future. In the past month we started an English bible study in our home for the young Peruvians who want to grow in both their faith and their language abilities. Doug has also started to preach in Spanish, with his first preaching engagement being at a tipple wedding! We are learning to be prepared for anything!
The new year will see us traveling a lot, with trips to the USA for partnership meetings, NCM training and speaking engagements, a trip to the jungle for the district superintendents retreat and a potential trip to Europe in the spring. Please pray during the new year for Doug as he is heavily involved in the setting up of partnerships (groups of people who specifically support the work of Peru and Bolivia) and for Jen as she organizes a Compassionate ministries conference for new leaders.
Thanks to each of you who have faithfully supported us throughout this year in so many different ways. We have appreciated the gifts, letters and phone calls but it is your prayers that have upheld us and blessed us the most. We appreciate you and thank God for you.
We want to send each of you Christmas greetings. It is very easy to trivialize Christmas amidst the family gatherings, the Christmas events and the gift buying, but the celebration of the gift of Christ into this world is anything but trivial. We pray that the celebration of the birth the world’s savior will be the centre of all of our activities this season. May Christ be reborn in each and every one of our hearts this year.
Grace and Peace,
Doug and Jen