I just got back from doing flyers. I passed a middle aged couple and said to them, "Beautiful day." She said, "Beautiful?" I said, "I'm trying to think positively." He said, "I'm positive it's a rotten day."  (Ok, so it was 40 and raining....but you might as well embrace it.)

The Lord gave me two divine appointments. I met Michael coming out of his flats as I was wanting to come in. (God's timing is perfect.) Please pray for he and his girlfriend. Her gran passed away. I told him that we'd be praying. 

Then as I was getting very close to my car Richard came by. He had promised to visit our church a couple weeks back. He said he will be there this Sunday. We'll see. He recognized me and stopped his bike to chat.

I also spoke to the mother of a little girl who attends our church. Their family has not yet come to a church event but we keep inviting. I also invited another lady whom we have chatted with in the past.

Katie put flyers out during lunch time as well. So, we have gotten a fair amount out. Please pray that the Christmas story on the back would open some people's eyes.

We are happy to be past the shortest day of the year. If you've looked at our sunrise/sunset times on our homepage, you know that right now we have 7 hours between sunrise and sunset. That also means that the sun isn't getting up very high in the sky. So, we look forward to the longer daylight hours returning.

Kirk, Carrie and Brodrick have arrived safely. We will head to the airport in a little while to get Carrie's mom and brother. Her dad will be flying in on Sunday. It's good to have family around!

I received an email last night from Pastor Denton at Prairie Baptist Church. Their church voted to take us on. I'm putting that on here for those who were praying for our support. We are thrilled to have their church financially assisting us as we serve the Lord in Scotland.

I also have a prayer request for you. Daniel Dillman (missionary son) is having surgery on his eyes on Christmas Eve. He has an eye condition called Keratonconus. Please pray for God to guide the Doctors hands as they perform the operation. Daniel is a student at Maranatha Baptist Bible College in Wisconsin. This operation is not done in the USA. So, Daniel is getting it done while home on vacation. I know that they appreciate your prayers. Thanks for praying.

Katie put some flyers out today during the kids lunch break. The Lord allowed her to chat with some believers whom we know in the community. I'm sure it was of the Lord. I chatted with them last time I was putting out flyers in their area. Both times the husband has been doing some work outside. Please pray for the Lord to work in their hearts.

I put out flyers this afternoon. As I was going along I almost regretted the direction I had chosen. There are more footsteps between houses in the housing schemes where I was walking. Another area would have reached more houses more quickly. But then I also thought that I was thinking humanistically and that God may have a reason for having me go the other way.  

_______ (25) was proof of that. I saw him working outside and started praying for the Lord to guide me as I spoke with him. The Lord gave us a great chat. His wife attends an evangelical church and was saved a few years ago. He said that he has never been interested in religion. After our talk he thanked me for my time and said that it had been informative.  I get excited when God gives an opportunity with someone who has saved family members. It shows God's love for His own. And it also indicates that somebody has been praying for that individual. Please pray for this young couple.  

The Lord continues to provide things for our home. Our guest room is looking nice and we are excited to have our first guest coming in on Wednesday. Kirk, Carrie and Brodrick are coming. And Carrie's mom and brother are flying in that day as well. They are going to spend the night and then head up to Dundee on Thursday. Thanks for praying for our family and ministry.

It's been a while since it was refreshing to be outside. But it is that kind of gorgeous day here today and we are loving it. The Lord gave us a good morning as well. I preached this morning on "The Creator's Birth" from the Luke 2 account with the shepherds. The Lord worked in our hearts. Tonight we are looking at the topic of "Obedience."

I heard this afternoon of a missionary family in Thailand who have lost two children in a car accident. The update I read was dated today. You can read it here.

I know your heart will respond with a desire to take their to the Lord.

As we gear up for the Holidays, life is getting a bit busy. I've been able to put out flyers a few days this week. We have good potential for great attendance at our carol service. We are trusting the Lord for just the right group.

The Lord gave a good witnessing opportunity today as I purchased a Christmas present for Katie. I purchased an item (it's a surprise) off of Ebay and collected it in person. The couple were very nice. They are immigrants from Romania. She was very interested to know what make Baptist different from Catholic. They were very sweet. They know right where our church is located as they used to work in the area. Please pray for God's blessing on the seed that was sown in their hearts.

Tomorrow I am preaching on the Christmas story with the Shepherds. Thanks for your prayers.

I wanted to give you an update on a fellow missionary who has two brain tumors. One tumor that was removed has returned. I know that Jeff, Shellie and their family would appreciate your prayers. If you would like to be updated as to this prayer request, please register for updates on their caringbridge website.

Jeff was home from the hospital for five days but has had to return due to symptoms. Thanks for taking this family's need to the Lord.

Mark Hikin and I were able to put out flyers this morning. It was very cold with temperatures in the middle 20's. The Lord gave Mark an opportunity to talk with an older man about the Lord. Then He gave us a great chat with two young men (early 20's) who were working on a car. Mark was able to share his testimony with them. We were also able to get into the Gospel. One was thoughtful and appeared interested. He said when we left, "I may see you again." We had encouraged him to visit the church. Please pray that he would have the courage to do that.

Mark could have been injured this morning but the Lord kept him safe. His glove was ripped off his hand and through a mail slot by a border collie. In the process his finger was bitten but the skin wasn't broken. His glove was torn pretty well when the owner returned it to him.  (If you're not smiling, go ahead.) We laughed about it and reflected on why we use F.D.T's. (Flyer distribution tools a.k.a. cheese boards.) Yesterday Dane had a tug of war when a large dog grabbed hold of his F.D.T. as he put it through a mail slot. It's all part of the excitement of putting out flyers. :)

Please continue to pray for the Christmas Carol Sing service. I started preparing my power point last night. Thanks for praying.

Thanks for praying for the homeschool Christmas party. It went very well.  I'll put some pictures below.

Missionary Dane Vobelpohl did a charcoal drawing of the Christmas Story.

The Lord gave us great weather and the kids were able to play outside.

This morning we began the Christmas story as I preached on Gabriel coming to Mary. Katie and I realized last night that her Sunday School lesson and my message were on the same passage. Hopefully the kids benefited from a double dose.  Counting our family we had 7 adults and 12 kids present. Tonight it was us and the Hikin family as we studied what the Bible says about "riches."

Tomorrow Katie is hosting a home school Christmas party. We are expecting 10 other children. I'm sure it will be a very fun day for the kids and hopefully the moms as well. I'm sure Katie would appreciate your prayers for that ministry. I'll be seeking to get our carol sing flyers out. I got a good start on Saturday as I put out around 350. Thanks for taking these needs to the Lord.

The day began with a phone call cancelling for tonight. That was our first sign of things to come. Three cancelation were due to illness. One lady couldn't come because of a car breakdown. Others had unexpected things come up. But, we know that the Lord is in control and that He had a perfect night planned.

We had 5 ladies other than Katie and 2 girls attend. The house looked lovely. Katie did a great job decorating and preparing all sorts of goodies. Adele's challenge went very well and was well received. It seems everyone really enjoyed themselves.

A friend, who visited a few weeks ago, came over again this afternoon. We enjoyed a good couple hour discussion about the Bible. His wife and girls came tonight. We are thrilled to have their friendship and look forward to getting to know this family.

God's good. Thanks for praying. (Oh, and the shopping went very well.) I'll put some pics of the decorations/goodies below. Hope you aren't hungry.