December

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Dear Friends in Christ,

It’s hard to believe that another year has come to an end. We are grateful to our Father for the gift of His Son to pay the debt for our sin so that we can have eternal life in Him.

We are now working on getting Woodson out of Haiti to have the surgeries he so desperately needs. The doctor in Haiti believes he has cancer in his kidney. With the help of our dear friend Judy Foster, we have already obtained his passport. Now we are asking for prayers for guidance and wisdom as we search for the right hospital for him. We have friends looking in the US, the Dominican Republic, & Panama. We feel we are way over our heads with this endeavor, so we definitely appreciate prayers for direction and healing for Woodson! Praise the Lord that He is sovereign and at peace with the outcome He has already chosen.

We were heartbroken this month, while working so hard to preserve the life of Woodson, another little student from our school, Commando, stepped into the arms of Jesus. Commando was 5 years old and died from a fever. It is especially devastating to know basic care likely could have saved this little one’s life. In remote areas of Haiti, simple over-the-counter drugs are not easily available or even known to be an option. Commando’s father built a small, simple casket and the entire school attended his funeral. Through our grief we are comforted in knowing Commando is at Home in Heaven with Jesus.

Some of our Grandchildren along with Kim, and Jim Liffick from our church came to our home to assist in packing the holiday gift bags for our students. This is a fun time for us to watch 200 colorful bags, with ‘Jesus Changes Everything’ written in Creole, stuffed full of gifts for the children. Ken and I drove them to Ft. Pierce, Florida to be delivered by MFI to Pignon, where Nady and Amadeau picked them up. We look forward to sharing the pictures of the children receiving these gifts in our January newsletter.

Our daughter Sara, her husband Joel, and their 4 children went to visit Pastor Santos on the Ranch of Faith this month. They had fun watching the cows and goats being milked, a job they are very familiar with at their own home. We sent some gifts and Spanish Bibles with them. Pastor Santos and his wife Fini are doing well and still busy sharing the love of Jesus with many people in Nava, Mexico. It had been many years since Sara had been down to visit them. She and Joel were both happy to finally take their children to see where they both worked, building homes for years and see Pastor Santos and Fini on the Ranch of Faith.

The week before Thanksgiving we, along with Micah, Holly and their family, attended the Bible Bee in Ohio. Once again, we were touched deeply to be a part of this amazing event. The children are always kind to us, especially the older ones who often express their appreciation for the impact Shelby’s life has had on them. We are now seeing a second generation of Bible Bee finalists attend, which is very encouraging. Praise the Lord for using Shelby’s testimony to encourage so many children to memorize and study God’s Word.

The week following the Bible Bee, we enjoyed celebrating Thanksgiving with many of our children, grandchildren, and even Ken’s nephews and their children from Florida. It was a beautiful time together and one of the highlights of our year!

December has been a roller coaster of emotions. Little Commando passing away so unexpectedly, and trying to get paperwork done and finding a hospital to take care of Woodson can easily be overwhelming. However, knowing ALL that our Savior does and is doing for us, His birth, death, and resurrection for us, is enough to keep our hope up and our eyes on Him. We continue to look to Him for all the ups and downs He sends us. May He give each of you hope and excitement as we all look forward to seeing Him face to face one day!

Serving our Savior with you,
Ken and Debbi