December 10

Hello from Puerto Rico. Christmas is right around the corner and we have so much to do to get ready; not only the church but our family as well. Speaking of family, we had the unique opportunity to be together with our boys and their families over Thanksgiving. Our sons and Mary and I surprised our daughters-in-law and granddaughter with a trip to NYC to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and take in many of the famous sites. What a delight it was to be together. As missionaries, due to distance, cost, and time, family get-togethers have been uncommon. Nevertheless, the bond has always been strong and the Thanksgiving get-together was a blessing! “Thank you, Lord!”

Mary and I celebrate forty-two years of marriage next week. Our entire adult life has been lived here on the island. Both of us came in our early twenties and now we are in the last half of our sixties. It has gone fast. God has done beautiful things throughout the years. Hundreds have become believers. Certainly not all have remained in the faith or live here in Aguadilla. Yet, many of those converts still honor the Lord to this day across PR and in the USA. Working with others (but mostly alone) three churches have been established as well as a school. Thousands have been educated. Thousands of Bible classes and sermons and similar efforts have been carried out. I hardly know what to say as would any minister who has served the Lord for forty-plus years. We give Him all the honor and glory.

Since our last newsletter, we have baptized one lady. What a delight to see her take this step. Speaking of the church, it has been an unusual year, one of dynamic contrasts. Through May we had the best average attendance in the history of the church. Then, we had twenty people move to the States or other parts of the island over the summer. New people from the area and even two people from Viet Nam and India have begun to meet with us each Sunday. Another that had fallen away suddenly showed up to renew congregating with us. Others, struggling with sin, have fallen by the wayside as Jesus taught in His parable of the seed planted in stony and thorny soil. Still others are growing, preaching, teaching and accepting new responsibilities in the church. From a human standpoint, these changes have taken me on a roller coaster of highs and lows and back again. However, I continue to learn to walk by faith and believe our Lord is always in control of His church, not only in the highs, but in the lows and in-betweens as well. 

Speaking of highs; each November we ask the church members to sign up for one or two of the ministry opportunities offered by the church. There are seventeen ways to become involved. This year, but with just a few stragglers, everyone is signed up to work. I am excited about the year’s prospects. We have chosen as our year’s maxim: TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER.

We are delighted to call all of you “friends” and many of you “associates” in the sense that you have under-girded our efforts in Puerto Rico for many years. Thank you!

Now back to putting up the Christmas tree with our granddaughter. Can anything be better than that! 😊 Mary and I want to wish you a Merry Christmas. God bless you!

Johnathan and Mary