December 2008

As this year nears an end, we would like to thank you for your partnership in making 2008 a very fulfilling and memorable year. Your encouragement, prayers and support have allowed us the privilege of being able to invest our experiences, training, gifting, etc. into the lives of an emerging generation of young people who are desiring to have influence in lives throughout the world.

We are very thankful for the opportunity that we had this past year to come alongside a team of young people who went on an eleven month World Race. We spent time with our World Race team to do separate debriefs in Costa Rica and in Nicaragua. We are very thankful for the opportunity that we have had to help each one who is in the Community Life program here in Gainesville. We have been asked to oversee their internships, to monitor their mentors and to give them whatever assistance that we can in their fund raising efforts. We are very thankful for the opportunity that we now have to help in NextStep. AIM’s youth short term programs make up NextStep. Gary going to Belize as a Project Leader for a STM (short term ministry) team with Connie was another special blessing.



Gary’s mother’s rapidly declining health and her subsequent home going had us twice making the drive to South Dakota. We also went to Delaware to help one of Nancy’s aunts celebrate her 95th birthday - and to see our grandkids. Our grandkids were here in Gainesville last month. While they were here, we celebrated Christmas over Thanksgiving. Even though it was a rather cold day, we enjoyed our time at a nearby kangaroo conservation center.

2009 is going to begin rather quickly for us. We along with Don and Connie, one of Gary’s sisters and her husband and a couple who we have gotten to know through the weekly Bible study group that we are going to are going to go to Guatemala on January

29 for eleven days. While we are at the planned site in Guatemala, we are hoping to have two clinics each day, ongoing children’s activities and to do setup for a NextStep Ambassador team. Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers for us. May God bless you richly during this season of joy.

Sincerely,

Gary and Nancy