We want to wish you all a very Happy New Year! While we look back with gratitude for 2004 and hope for 2005, our hearts go out to all who are suffering in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster in southeast Asia.

New Years Day is the biggest holiday of the year for the Togolese. Everyone who can afford it gets new clothes. Women and even little girls enjoy new hair styles, including braids and wigs. Visiting is also an important tradition. In the afternoon, the kids walk around town greeting people and showing off their new outfits. This year, around 4:30, we were almost overwhelmed as about thirty children showed up at our house at about the same time to greet us, to see what kinds of treats we could offer them, and to play on the Jeremy and Jonathan’s jungle gym. It’s sort of the local version of trick-or-treat. Fortunately, Maureen had baked chocolate chip cookies that morning, so they were able to leave with a stash of cookies and candy.

This week we continued with leadership training and material preparation. Anthony went with Marty and the Tabligbo elders to visit Komlan, a member of the Tabligbo church who has worked for the Hollands, but who has suffered a series of stroke that have left him partially paralyzed over much of his body. He is now at his family home in the nearby town of Ahepe. Many of his family believe that he is the victim of a curse. The elders went to pray for, anoint, and encourage him. It was a good ministry experience for them and encouraging for Komlan.

We’re looking forward to going north to Kara this week for a sports camp for the kids from our team and the Kabiye team. We know the children will learn a lot about sports and about life from this time together.

This week Anthony’s family in the States said good-bye to his Uncle Elgar, who died at the age of 76. This quiet, gentle man leaves behind a rich heritage of a large, loving Christian family.

The Bontragers are in Ghana taking Kyleen's parents back to the airport. They leave tonight for their return to the States. Pray that God will bless them with safety as they travel.


Rae and Jeremy will return to Togo January 15th

Happy New Year! Josiah has been enjoying his Christmas break--even though that is probably no longer the politically correct term. In Togo Christmas is still Christmas even though the vast majority of the population is pagan. Go figure. Anyway, Josiah has enjoyed the break.
Ellianna enjoys having Josiah around. She is doing well also and decided to cut 8 teeth over the holidays. She had some bah-humbug days (and we did too after a couple of her bah-humbug 5:00 AM wake-ups). However, she seemed to really enjoy Christmas--especially the tree decorations and presents. Every day was full of wonder as she looked at the pretty lights and many colors. Baby three is doing well. Brenda had a good doctor's visit last week. During the ultra-sound, everything looked good and the doctor said the sex of the baby is... That is our
little surprise. Already having one boy and one girl, we're prepared for anything, so for now we'll keep it a secret, at least until we have a name.

The work continues to go well. The holidays required a little reshuffling of class times, but all the students came to the meetings and things continue to progress. The church plantings in a couple of villages are having a hard time getting moving. Pray that after the holidays, God uses the dry season and its downtime to accomplish His purposes in the hearts of many. Also keep our friend, Komla, in your prayers. He had another stroke and has lost the left side of his body as well as the right and lost most of his verbal progress.

Thank you for praying for Christine. Her head is feeling a little better each day. God is healing her. God has also completely healed Matthew of his malaria and he's his normal, spunky self:)

Yesterday we started off the new year with a huge celebration with the Sedome/Batoe cluster. They invited everyone from their region to come worship the Lord and celebrate His goodness and blessings, and almost 300 people came including village chiefs from neighboring villages, and a ton of visitors from other churches and non-Christians from all around. Church didn't end until 2:45 in the afternoon and we didn't get home from Batoe until 4:45pm!

Before the services began Denni me pulled to the side and said that his father-in-law wanted to speak to me. So we went into the church building along with another young man for a "talk". The old man said that he was baptized in 1968 but didn't stay faithful the Lord. His life outside of Christ hadn't been a good one though and he wanted to repent and come back to Christ. His nephew was also there, a young man in his 20's, and he also told me that he believed that he was a sinner and that Jesus was the Son of God and that he wanted to give his life to Jesus.

As I sat there hearing these two men profess their faith and desire to follow God, my heart overflowed with thanksgiving to our creator for His wonderful love for us and His continued work in this world to reconcile mankind to Himself. I was also so thankful that God has blessed Christine and I to be in this place at this time to watch and witness the Lord's hand moving to bring the Watchi to Himself. What a great privilege it is to be a worker in the harvest fields of the King!

During the worship service the two men stood up, confessed their faith in Jesus and gave themselves to the Lord in faith. Arrangements were made for the young man's baptism after the worship service and everyone cheered as two sinners repented and gave themselves to the Almighty! I can't think of a better way to start off the new year!

Denni, the leader in Sedome, began January 2004 in prayer asking the Lord to bring 10 new Christians into the church in Sedome. The Lord is so good and gracious and faithful to answer our prayers. Denni's father-in-law and his nephew were the 9th and 10th people to be added to this congregation in 2004! Praise Him for He is listening and He is answering!!!

Blessings to all of you in your service to the King in 2005!

It has been a busy between Christmas and New Year's week for us. For Marty work has continued on as usual with the Tabligbo, Vogan, and Atitogon areas. Vogan has really gotten behind this program with them now having two different training groups. It is working well too as the older men are seeing how enthusiastically the younger ones are being trained and they as well are taking notice and longing to move forward. In Atitogon today we set around and assessed the last year as well as planned for the next. As Marty expected it ended with food. Marty had at least four meals on Friday alone as everyone wanted to feed him with New Year's coming. We had a real good time New Year's eve showing our neighborhood kids a fireworks display and then praying a blessing for their next year. The Tabligbo elders seem to understand the direction the church needs to go in but it will take some boldness and spiritual discernment on their part. Please continue to pray for that. The church in Togbonou Kope will be undergoing a month of intense evangelism during January. Please pray for this. We are thrilled to report that three more will be baptized in Afakomi Kope. We know its not much but it continues to grow little by little. Thank you for your prayers and your love. We ask God's greatest blessings for your families in the states and that he will use you to plant seeds of faith among the lost of America.