Okay… Its cold now. After a string of 80 degrees as I shared last time, we’ve had some more typical winter weather. The students too are feeling the coming of winter as finals have been this last week. 

This has been a special semester and many of our friends from ELI will be going home for the long haul. You see on this picture Alfonso who is a good friend. He, and another huge friend, Wilfred were the two ELI speakers. We will miss them all! Some moved closer to Jesus. Others because almost a part of our family. Our prayers are with them as they go home.

Once again, ISI is moving their online giving to a new platform. If you give online regularly, especially automatically, you will have to cancel your giving on the old site and set up giving on the new site. Here are instructions on how to do that. If you have questions, let me know.

Here are some quick things of praise and prayer.

• The Christmas Party was incredible (see the pictures). It seemed like everyone who was a part of any Friday night this semester were there. There were some good conversations and much reminiscing about the year. It is sad to see so many go home but we are excited for them and their futures.
• The ISI Staff Christmas party (see pictures) was also great. We had several new people at the party and we had a chance to get to know some of them for the first time outside the context of a ministry event or some other “official” situation. I am going to post a picture we took of the team that you all pray for all the time. From left you see, Jeff, Pam, Derrah, Me, Hannah Peter, Caitlyn, Lisa, Judy, Angela, Laurie, Ron & Ray. Missing were Scott & Marie, Jean, Sharon, Emily, and soon Pat & Cliff.
• Praise God for a good Christmas Party with our Chinese MBA & EMBA Students. There are several families in this group with kids our kids age.
• Every night has been a new event we enjoyed supporting our kids in their orchestra concerts, choir concerts, volleyball tournaments, etc. Praise Lord for all that God is allowing them to do.
• Many of you have been praying for Ron & Ruthe Ann. Ron is still cancer free and Ruthe Ann is getting better though she still has damage to her elbow. Praise also that God got another key volunteer Debra through surgery.