Good News!

We've received some good news - we've been medically cleared to return to Russia! It was really more of a formality - no one has any medical problems - it's just one of the things that has to be done before we can return. So praise God, that one more step on the road back to Russia has been completed!

We mentioned in our newsletter, but not here, that Angela's grandmother, Winnie, is having health problems. She is living in a nursing home, she's lost most of her eyesight, and now is losing function of her kidneys. She's 89 years old, a wonderful Christian lady, and she's lived a full life. Pray for her and the family as they make decisions regarding her care.

Continue to pray for us as we get our ducks in a row to return to Russia. We now need to start seriously working on visas and other issues. The days are winding down! Pray for us also as we spend time with family here in the States. Just about 2 months exactly until we plan to return.

I promised some pictures last week of us at World of Coke, and Chik-Fil-A. Here they are!





























The Batmobile is from the first Batman movie with Michael Keaton, and it's part of S. Truett Cathy's personal collection!








Finally, Andrew got to have some fun making snow angels, and a real snowman! He had a ball!

The Thrill of Victory....

...Is not what the Eagles experienced last Sunday! Oh well, someone has to lose, right? At least one Pennsylvania team is in the Superbowl!

Well, on to more important things. Thanks for praying for our conference in Georgia this last week - things went really well. We were able to have some good conversations with folks at the missions fair, and several have signed up to receive our prayer updates, so we are thankful. Travel so far has gone very well, Randy made it back to PA, and Angela and Andrew are in Huntsville, AL spending some time with her parents. They return Monday. Pray for them as they travel back, and for Randy as he tries to remember his bachelor survival skills over the next few days! :)

We had some unexpected fun family times this week. While we were in Conyers, we went to the World of Coke in Atlanta, and the Chick-Fil-A corporate headquarters. For me, Chik-Fil-A was most interesting, because their entire corporate vision begins with, "To bring glory to God..." It was really quite inspiring to walk on the company grounds and hear the clock chime to the tune of "He Leadeth Me." We'll have pictures next time of Andrew posing with the Coke polar bear (Angela has the camera).

It's probably sounding repetitive, but keep praying for our visa situation. We will be exploring options this week, and hope to have something more concrete soon.

Fly Eagles, Fly!

We had a special family day outing this week at the Build-a-Bear workshop, and what can I say? Daddy got a little caught up in Eagles playoff fever! But don't worry, I won't be asking for prayer for the Birds this week. However, if they make it to the Superbowl... :)

Well, anyway, we're traveling again this week. We are going to be attending a missions conference in Conyers, Georgia. It actually worked out well, since Angela's parents had been wanting to spend a little more time with her and Andrew, so they'll be staying behind in Huntsville for a few days after the conference. Pray for safety in travel, and for connections with new prayer partners.

Thanks for praying for the weather last week. We were able to speak at Fellowship Baptist, and we have another meeting scheduled in February to speak with their missions committee about future partnership! Thank you also for praying for Andrew's eye, he has recovered very well, and you can't even tell where the scrapes were from falling down the steps.

We've also received Andrew's new passport, so we're one step closer to our return to Russia. Soon we'll need to begin the visa process. Again, please pray for favor with the authorities as we make plans for our return.

Also, we are working on a website for our team, and we're going to try to incorporate our prayer blog with that website. We'll keep you updated as we get things under way, and any input you have will be appreciated. Let us know what you like, and what you think needs improvement.

Sorry for the delay!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and anything else I've missed! In between traveling for Christmas and New Year's, as well as some spotty internet availability, we haven't posted in a while, so I apologize. I hope your holiday times were special. We were able to spend time with family and friends, and that has been a blessing.

We also had one speaking engagement at Fellowship Baptist get called due to weather - the roads were very icy on that Sunday morning - but we'll be returning there this Sunday. However, a winter storm watch is forecasted for Saturday, so please pray that the weather will allow travel. This is Randy's home church before going to seminary in Texas.

Last week, we spoke at Bux-Mont Baptist, which is the church where our mission housing is located here in Hatboro, PA. About an hour before we were scheduled to speak, Andrew fell down the steps at home! He ended up with a few scrapes around his eye, but nothing any more serious. Praise God for His protection! Pray also that God will call out partners from this church, and Fellowship Baptist as well.

We've now got a little more than two months until we return to Russia. The time is just flying by! We're now going to start focusing on our return. Pray for wisdom for us as we look into visas and other issues. Pray that we will be able to find a way to stay in the country long term.

Visit From Santa

We took this picture at Andrew's preschool. He had a special visitor, and Andrew was actually pretty excited to see him - we weren't sure how he'd react to sitting in Santa's lap, but as you can see, he had the time of his life (although I don't think Santa quite measures up to Thomas the Tank Engine)!

Thank you for your prayers for our travel to Butler, PA - we had a great trip there, and Andrew did well on the 6-hour drive. The weather was beautiful - no snow to make travel difficult! We were also able to encourage Whitestown Rd. Baptist Church, and pray that God will use our words to draw people there closer to Him.

This week we'll be speaking at Fellowship Baptist, Randy's home church before moving to Texas. We have several strong prayer supporters in this church. Pray as we talk with them about future partnerships with us in Vladivostok.

As we said last week, Christmas is fast approaching, and we would be remiss if we did not express our sincere gratitude for your gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. In tough economic times like these, giving often means sacrifice. Take the example set by Lottie Moon herself:

For 37 years this pioneering missionary endured hardship and danger in a land oppressed by famine, disease and war. In the end, she loved the Chinese people more than life itself, giving her own food to starving neighbors, eventually dying of starvation herself. During her career, Moon wrote numerous letters home urging Southern Baptists to greater missions involvement and support. One of those letters, excerpted below, triggered Southern Baptists’ first offering for missions in 1888 — enough to send three new missionaries to China.

“How many there are … who imagine that because Jesus paid it all, they need pay nothing, forgetting that the prime object of their salvation was that they should follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in bringing back a lost world to God.”




This is a picture of Andrew "reading" his beginner's Bible. We've started the practice of a daily quiet time with him. We read a short devotional passage together and then Daddy reads his Bible while Andrew reads his, or watches a "God video." We're praying that he will develop a hunger for God at an early age. I am reminded of a conversation I had with a lady in the front room of Mission Arlington while we were there last month. She was talking about how God had blessed her, and I just felt impressed to ask her, "And what have you been doing lately to bless God?" She immediately began talking about how she needed to give at a church somewhere. I told her that what really blesses God is when we give Him our heart - all of it. May God bless you as you bless Him this Christmas!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Lately, Andrew's new phrase is, "Christmas is getting close...!" He's getting excited about seeing the presents under the tree of course, meanwhile, we work on teaching him the true meaning of the season. We've had a little bit of snow, but nothing stayed on the ground - a big contrast between our last three Christmases in Khabarovsk!



This week, we'll be heading to Whitestown Road Baptist Church in Butler, PA. Pray for us as we speak there, and for safety in travel. Snow is forecasted for this weekend up there!

Hope you enjoy these photos of our tree decoration time! Have a great week!

Day Out With Thomas!

We went to Strasburg, PA today for a Day Out With Thomas, and we all got to ride on a life-size replica of Thomas the Tank Engine! There was also a visit with Sir Toppam Hatt, Christmas songs, train tables, the whole works! Needless to say, Andrew was very excited, and we all had a great time. The weather was cool, but very nice, so thank you for your prayers.

Tomorrow, we drive to Romney, West Virginia for a speaking engagement Sunday morning at Covenant Baptist Church. Pray for safety in travel and for God to speak through us as we speak in the morning worship and at Sunday School.

Thank you for your prayers for Randy's time in Florida. It was a great time of connecting with Scott and his family. We reminisced about the college ministry at Temple, and were able to visit with some folks who had come to a fall festival at his church in Lake Wales. Pray for God to raise up partners from FBC Lake Wales.

Keep praying for the visa situation in Russia. We are still looking into avenues to stay in country long term. Other colleagues are in the same situation as we are. Please pray for wisdom as we seek the best option for our continued presence there.