Happy New Year's

Despite my Charlie Brown like Romanian Christmas tree, I had a wonderful Christmas celebration here with 3 days (Dec. 24-26) of church services, carolling and fellowship in homes. With giftgiving being reserved for children, it is much easier to keep your focus on celebrating the birth of Jesus and the many things we have in Him. I truly celebrated Jesus' birth with a thankfullness and joy I've never had before realizing that my whole life is possible because of His birth. Now with Christmas behind, I (we here) are concentrating on cleaning house (literally and spiritually) and dedicating the next year to the Lord's use. May we each bring our bodies into subjection to His will and way to the praise of His glory for 2007!

Answers to Prayer:
1) A Soul Saved! - One woman came to Christ after the Oradea Anniversary service on December 17th. Praise the Lord! Please now pray that Aughi will grow in her faith and knowledge of our Lord God.
2) Sorin - He is healing well and has been home with his family for the Holidays. Pray that the hospital bill and work situation will be resolved between the family and employer. (Romania doesn't have the employee protection laws that we in the US depend so much on.)
3) Romanian Teen Retreat - We were 23 in all and we had a great time in the snowy mountains. It was the first snow so a few of us are quite bruised up from trying to sled down unprepared hills. One guy even broke his hand, but the Lord got us home in one piece. It was a great time to fellowship together and learn about our true value in Jesus Christ because we are His. We exist so He loves us. That's it. Amazing! May the Lord help us to renew are minds and give us a Heavenly view of ourselves and church family.

Prayer Requests:
1) Visa - It's that time again when I take all my documents to different government offices to obtain permission to live and work in Romania. Please pray for a 5 year visa this time around. It would save money, time, and just plain hassle for a while. :)
2) Goals for 2007 - Please pray the Lord will give me wisdom as I evaluate my classes and try to set goals for this coming year. I also have personal goals of learning Romani (Gypsy language) and reaching neighbors for Christ. My Romanian and Hungarian neighbors are very different than the Rom and I am praying the Lord will give me strength, courage, and wisdom in how to make relationships to introduce them to Christ a PERSONAL Saviour.

I will be praying for each of you as you head into another year as well looking at where God has placed you and what He WANTS to strengthen YOU to do! "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Phil. 3:13,14