Thank you for all of the Christmas cards and greetings. We loved getting them!
We are all feeling fully refreshed after these past few weeks of extended family time. We were able to get away with another missionary family to the coast of Kenya for a week-long holiday the week before Christmas. The house we stayed in was on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean. Each day we'd run down our stone staircase, open up the wooden door at the bottom and be met by the warm, salty ocean air. The kids collected bags of shells and coral, and enjoyed seeing so many new things - starfish, jellyfish, puffer fish, and crabs (they were delicious). The beauty around us was incredible. Our God is an amazing Creator.
We are eagerly anticipating what the year of 2012 will bring. A baby, for one! Our little one is due the end of April, and we are hopeful that we can acquire the necessary paperwork (birth certificate, special pass and passport) in time to fly back to the U.S. the end of May for our 6-month furlough. Would you pray with us that that will happen? Paperwork can be a nightmare here in Uganda.
The first half of December Nate spent wrapping up each of the Bible classes, giving out final exams, meeting with individual students and grading. Most of the students were able to finish off the term strong and are ready for the next term, beginning next week. There are currently about 80 students in 8 different classes. Nate is teaching one of the classes with the help of our interns, Hans and Micah, and is mentoring 8 Ugandan teachers who teach the other 7 classes. It is a 2-year program and most of the classes are beginning their 2nd year. It is a great commitment for these men and women, many of whom are farmers or day laborers, each of them working hard to make ends meet. For them to take a 1/2 day off of work each week to attend classes speaks strongly of their desire to learn and grow. We are so grateful for your prayers for these students, as they study the Word of God each week and take it home to their families and communities. Please continue to pray for them - that they would grow in their love for the Lord and in their understanding of His Word.
Elijah and Jude will also be starting up school again next week. I (Rhoda) spent the day yesterday planning out their last term before we head back to the U.S. I always love having a fresh start with them, changing things up a bit and beginning new books. I was reminded yesterday as I was praying for wisdom and creativity, feeling overwhelmed at all of the different subjects I'd like to teach them, what my ultimate goals are - first, to provide an environment where they can grow in their love for the Lord, for each other and for those around them and second, to instill in them a love for learning. I'd also be thrilled if their love for writing grows, if they learn to persevere and work hard at something that is difficult, if they finish up their Math books, if they wouldn't get so silly and hyper when we do projects, if they... Would you pray for them with me, keeping my goals in mind, as well as for me, that I would be completely dependent on the Lord each day?
Hannah and Jeremiah, little sidekicks, are learning to play so well together, which is a great answer to prayer. They can now play with each other for longer stints before the screaming breaks out, and aren't so inclined to get into mischief while I'm teaching. A huge reason for that is that we have a lot of entertainment in our backyard these days - 5 adorable little puppies, an annoyingly loud little pig (Hannah's much-desired Christmas gift) and a tree house, built by Micah for the kids for Christmas.
We feel really blessed to have such a strong support base. Your prayers, emails, letters, packages and gifts are an incredible source of encouragement to us. Thank you! It is a privilege to be partners with you in this journey of sharing Christ to the world around us.
