Thanks for your prayers during this time back in New Zealand. I am very glad to report that I've made good progress with the economic curriculum. The foundational part is finished and the 2nd part is almost done. It was exciting to be able to launch it to train a group of 14 people earlier this month, some of whom plan to use it this coming year to mentor inmates pre and post release. Please pray as I prepare to return to Kenya on the 1st January and as I connect with people while I am there and train and mentor facilitators who can use the material in their contexts.

Liliane was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July and started chemotherapy treatment on September 3rd. The Lord has been very gracious, and she hasn’t had many side effects. Tests have shown the tumor has shrunk and markers have reduced by two thirds. Please continue to pray for total healing. Melany has finished her master’s degree in Chemistry and now needs to finish her teaching diploma to be able to teach Chemistry in schools. Lianelle finished her Bachelor of Arts Degree and teaching diploma. Now she can teach Portuguese and English. She has a job in Sao Paulo, so she will live there next year, the Lord willing. An open-air meeting was held on the Day of the Dead with two people responding to the gospel. Please pray for our Thanksgiving meeting next Sunday and a Christmas dinner and the Lord's supper on December 24th.

Thank you for your prayers for safe travel for us on these unsafe roads. We have had two weeks of solid rain, day and night. The upside of this is that the maize crops are now growing. Please pray for Mary as she travels to Dilolo to speak at a Christmas conference.

We had a great nine weeks visiting city churches then Kevin returned for a week to participate in the first CBC Tertiary Education Students Conference in PNG held at the Erima Christian Centre in Port Moresby. We are encouraged with the enthusiasm and diligence shown by the Dorcas Creation Groups and the desire to start groups in Vanimo. Church development for a new generation of young adults and families continues to be a challenge. Please continue to pray for leadership development and the important work with Tertiary Students. Thank you for your prayers and support of this year and God’s blessings for a happy Christmas/New Year.

Praise God for answered prayer for finance for Manuela’s YWAM fees. Pray for her as she heads back on January 5th. She will be doing the Leadership course and has been offered a position on the staff for the incoming Discipleship School students. Pray for 15-year-old Maria Paula, that she will have a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus. The pull of the world is very strong. Pray for Ana Maria (16) as she enters her last year of high school, that she keeps her eyes on the Lord amid the pressures and stress of achieving her goals.

We give thanks for the opportunity to return to NZ for a home assignment until April and to be with our family again. We have had a very profitable time in the Philippines seeing God do some amazing things in people’s lives. Some of the highlights have been good progress made on community development, teaching through the book of Leviticus, discipleship of Bible teachers and a good group of young people beginning to come together. Outreaches are on-going despite continued opposition from the evil one and we are encouraged and excited by all that the Lord is continuing to do in these areas where the Tala-andig missionaries are working. While in NZ we plan to continue on with our O.T. translation project.