A New Year with New Opportunities

"[The Lord's mercies] are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:23"
January was a month of birthdays and travels!!

 Our only granddaughter, Noelle, celebrated her 4th birthday on January 2.

The first Saturday in January, the Lord allowed me a morning out with a dear friend, Mary Beth, for a late celebration of her December birthday. Christian fellowship is a blessing!

On January 8, we hosted a birthday brunch for another friend, Kathy, and were joined by several other friends, including Anne Dreisbach, who was on a brief furlough from Suriname, South America.  (January 10-12, we visited Tony's mother in Georgia.  On the Sunday, Tony preached at a supporting church, but I failed to take pictures!)

Jonathan, Laura and Kaela Baize, from Texas, were our guests for 3 nights, January 13-16.  Laura's parents are dear friends from a supporting church in Ohio.  Laura and our youngest, Emily, served together on a team to Mexico a few years ago.

Release Time began on the 15th with a combined K-5 and Grade 1 class day.  I taught on missions in South Africa. It was hard not to teach TOO LONG about the ministry that we love so well.

The flag's colors lend  themselves so well to a presentation of the gospel using the Wordless book. 

The next weekend when we traveled to NC  to report to a supporting church, we visited Clare and Jesse in Virginia and met their dog, Shira. She seemed to know we were taking a family photo!

Although travel was difficult for her, my mother enjoyed spending a day with my niece and her family while we visited Clare and Jesse.  She also got to attend her home church for the first time in 10 months.

On the 19th, Tony taught combined Sunday School and preached at Pastor Bill Harper's church in Rocky Mount, we enjoyed a delicious meal together with him and his wife, Amy, and their family at Pizza Inn.  This church has faithfully supported us since 1987.  That evening we attended my mother's home church, where we were married in 1979. (It is also a very faithful supporting church).

The last Sunday of the month was a big one for both of us.  I taught "Beholding Wondrous Things in His Presence" to the Seminary Wives Sunday School class and Tony preached "By the Rivers of Babylon" from Psalm 137 in the morning service at our sending church, Mount Calvary Baptist Church. We rejoice over all the opportunities we have during our furlough.