Merry Christmas 2008!
Happy New Year 2009!
Hello Friends and Family,
What a year this has been! God has blessed us and the church more than we can say. The church is slowly growing-we have had four new adult members join and two children, who will be baptised January 18th. We changed the name of the church to Grace Fellowship. Began two adult Sunday School classes, and a high-school class. We established a prayer room and have begun to focus more on cooperate prayer. We had a day of fasting and praying at a local retreat center. We have a group that meets every Tuesday for prayer and Paul has started his “Pit Crew” (pastor’s intercessory team). They prayer walk the church and pray together once a week. We are already seeing the results of praying together. More young families with children have been visiting the church. The Lord has blessed us with enough people to start painting the church-so far we have painted the foyer, hallways, fellowship hall, prayer room, the outside, and “praise the Lord” the sanctuary, yesterday (December 11th) we put the new sign on the side of the building. Much needed work has been done on the building and grounds and the people in the community have been commenting to some of our members about the difference it makes and some have begun to ask questions about the church.
As you see we have been extremely busy this year and the great praise is that God has met all the financial need and more for all the work that has been accomplished. I forgot to mention that we have begun a “Coffee Morning” on Tuesdays 10-12, inviting the community and neighbours. We have a “Knitters and Natters” who knit clothing for pre-mature babies in the local hospitals. In July we lost our first member in death.
Paul has done great with the recuperation from knee replacement and all is well there. Now he is having trouble with his gall bladder, he believes, but the doctors are testing to rule out other things before making a decision. He has already done 4 tests and will have one more test next week, after that he will see the surgeon again.
Jepye is doing well, since only one of us at a time can have problems, HA!
Our children and grandchildren in USA are doing well. Our oldest granddaughter, Karisa, graduates High School in May. We will be coming home for that event. We plan to have Karisa and her sister, Moriah, who graduates in 2010 to come to England for a few weeks in June. We are looking forward to their visit!
We wish all of you God’s riches blessings for Christmas and the New Year!
Paul and Jepye
December 24, 2008
Dear Family and Friends,
Merry Christmas! This year we have the privilege of celebrating Christmas for the twelfth time here in Central Asia. Danise and I can still remember our first Christmas here back in 1993…when things were very, very different. At that time there were scores of us “outsiders” living here…and hardly any local brothers and sisters. Our community’s Christmas theme back then was, “Jesus is being born in Central Asia!” One of our colleagues even put that theme to music.
But now—praise the Lord—the situation is reversed! There are hardly any of us outsiders left here, precisely because there are scores of local brothers and sisters who have been “born in Him.” The powers that be keep trying (like Herod did in the Christmas story) to do away with Him, but our 1993 dream has come true—Jesus is alive and well in His Church in Central Asia. Our family really cherishes the opportunity to celebrate His birthday here again this year!
Well, let us get you up-to-speed on our news since our return here from the U.S. on August 28th. First, our kids have enjoyed their new schooling arrangement (we’ve teamed up with five other families to create a “three-room schoolhouse”). One of the things they like most about it is the opportunity to have a P.E. class with their friends four days a week. Can you believe they logged fifty miles of jogging over the course of the fall? We’re sure grateful for several colleagues who work hard to make this a great learning environment for the kids.
Danise and I are finding ourselves in “Barnabas” roles with local brothers and sisters a lot these days. The enemy is attacking hard and—not surprisingly—going after key targets in the Church. One leader confided in us that he’s had thoughts of suicide. A couple with an exemplary marriage shared some deep marital struggles with us. One of the best tactics we’ve found for helping out in situations like these is simply to invite them over for a meal, and to talk and pray together. Please keep praying with us that our brothers and sisters will stand firm in the Lord.
Another fun role that Danise and I have assumed since returning is mentoring a number of the youth in our “M” community in music. Danise works with the vocalists, and I work with the musicians. We’ve found that the current atmosphere here tends to make life gloomy for our community…and that music is a good antidote to that gloominess. So each month we’re involving a growing number of our youth in leading our community in “singing for joy to God our strength” (Ps. 81:1). It’s been fun!
Well, we hope all of you have a great Christmas celebration. Thanks again for your partnership with us!
Keith, for the Stokelds
A Salute to Volunteers:
Many of our volunteers are committed to come to a place they have never been and stay with strangers while they are here. They commit to pay their own way and all their expenses while they are here. Then they go the extra mile and want to give the missionaries gifts from home, supplies needed, or treat them to a meal at a restaurant all at their own expense.
While they are here they pray for many things they see and realize need to be prayed about. They lift up those who live and work here and the lost of this land. They pray for the government officials, the lack of food and medical needs of the country. They pray for the missionaries and their children as they see needs and become aware of our lives here in a foreign culture. They do willingly all that is asked of them while here and ask nothing in return. They just want to help and serve and share the love of the Lord with all. They give their time, energy, talents, without complaint or restraint.
In their enthusiasm they bring much encouragement and hope to the missionaries and their families. They come as strangers and leave as part of our families. They go home with a story to tell and hearts bursting with love for a people and culture they never knew existed before and they will never be the same. God uses each volunteer in ways they could never have dreamed of and He changes their lives because they had the faith to come.
I praise the Lord for each volunteer He has sent to work here in Niger. THANK YOU!
The Joy of the Lord: This is what a 73 year old Tameshek believer looks like when he dances before his Lord to bring Him honor and praise. His testimony is that he loves the Lord and thanks Him for saving him and keeping him well and gives him life. Continue to pray for these people here to know the Lord and His grace in their lives.
Thank you all for your prayers for me and those here in Niger.
Bonnie McMinn, Colossians 1: 9-14
