Welcome to the "Holiday Edition" of our newsletter! There was so much going on between Thanksgiving and Christmas that we decided to combine the two months.
      First, we want to thank everyone for all the prayers and support. Several churches and individuals made special contributions during the holidays--we thank you so much for blessing us! After our last newsletter, in which we mentioned our need for monthly support, brethren stepped in quickly to meet that need. I doubt we will ever get used to seeing God work so evidently in our lives. THANK YOU!! We are even more determined now to get to work and see certain projects begin to grow in 2023.
      In November, we spent a lot of time with our brethren in Moshi. Saturday mornings are devoted to local evangelism, and I was able to join the men in going out to do Bible studies. We hosted several of the Kilimanjaro brethren in our home, and likewise visited in their homes. The highlight of the month was the Wednesday evening when Claude tapped me on the shoulder and told me that he would do the devotional at the end of service. That is a proud moment for any Christian parent!
      November is the end of term at the Andrew Connally School of Preaching. This year there were 11 graduates receiving the Bachelors degree in Bible; additionally, the Arusha and Kisongo Bible schools had 9 graduates. It takes a lot of dedication to leave one's family for two years in order to do the work to earn a Bachelor's degree. We are so happy for the ones that remained dedicated to the end. These men will certainly do good work for the Lord.
      We celebrated two birthdays in November--Claude turned 15 and Lorelai turned 17. Thanksgiving was spent with a group of expats we have met in Moshi. These folks have helped us through some medical emergencies and have been invaluable in helping us settle in here. Jessica even found an actual turkey to share at our potluck!

      December is always busy here because the schools close at the end of November and all the children come home. This is when ACSOP hosts the annual Tanzania Youth Christian Camp, headed by John Rice for the past 15+ years. There were over 130 young people in attendance, ranging from kindergarten to college-age. Most campers stayed in the dorm rooms at ACSOP. It was a very uplifting and encouraging week. Jessica and I were both teachers; all our kids attended. Our family enjoyed getting to know John and his son-in-law, Brian. They worked so well with the campers and clearly enjoyed spending time with them. The camp produced fruit--27 young people were baptized! Of that number, 4 were from the Kilimanjaro church in Moshi.
      Immediately following TYCC, ACSOP hosted the Future Preacher Training Camp for young Christian men. This camp is a six-year program during which the young men continually practice how to prepare and deliver sermons. Anyone who had "Prep & Del" knows that much more is involved beyond sermon-writing! Public speaking doesn't come easily to everyone. It was wonderful to see how far the young men progressed in just a week. Prayerfully, they will grow to be strong leaders in the church.
      I want to stop here and thank the staff at ACSOP, men and women, for their efforts and dedication to the children. It is HARD WORK to put on two back-to-back camps! These adults made camp a safe, fun, and special place where much was learned. 

      December brought a special event to our family back in the States.  Our niece, Lennah, got married! We were able to watch the wedding thanks to the brethren at the Kensington Woods church of Christ. They made it available via YouTube. Things are so different than they were when Jessica and I were missionary kids in the '90's! 
      Christmas was HOT...I think that must always be the adjective we use in Tanzania in December! We want to thank all the people who were so kind to offer us space in their suitcases over the past few months!! You may not realize what a big deal it is to see gifts from grandparents when you don't get to go home for Christmas; it was a big deal for our bunch. So thank you, travelers, for bringing joy to our children. Christmas Day also saw a baptism at the Kilimanjaro church of Christ, for which we rejoice!
      As we begin 2023, we are full of hope for the future. Keep following our FaceBook page for updates, and look for our monthly newsletter in your inbox! As always, we want to acknowledge God's blessing on this work. You are a blessing to us and to the church here in Tanzania. Thank you for your support!