End of 2006 newsletter

Dear Friends and prayer warriors

As I start this newsletter, it is early Christmas morning, and even Christie is still asleep. It is cold and raining outside, and winter seems to have finally arrived. It has been a warm December here in Georgia, not that I am complaining though, since I’m not a big fan of the cold – unlike Debbie, who’d love nothing better than to have it snow every day in winter…

Looking back on 2006, and reading through my devotional journal, I am overwhelmed by all that God has done this past year. Obviously, the disaster recovery and subsequent revival in New Orleans was the biggest part of our lives this year – prior to Hurricane Katrina, I had never been to New Orleans, but now I am practically a local!

But what
else happened in 2006?

·
I became a US citizen, and Debbie is just waiting for her swearing in/naturalization ceremony.

·
My Grandmother and most faithful prayer warrior went home to be with the Lord.

·
We celebrated our 10^th Wedding Anniversary in March.

·
We were blessed with a visit from Debbie’s aunt and uncle (Colleen and Gareth) from South Africa. They are faithful prayer warriors, and an inspiration to us as a family.

·
Christie started school (Pre-K), and absolutely loves it.

·
I moved into the position of Director of Project Management, at AIM.

·
Debbie and Christie got to experience a mission trips first hand with me in New Orleans.

·
Debbie’s mom was able to spend the whole summer with Debbie and Christie in Gainesville, while I spent the summer in New Orleans.

·
We were blessed with the gift of a once-in-a-lifetime vacation to Mexico and Florida

As a family, we are earnestly praying about adopting another child, and have had a few close calls over the last few months. As each situation unfolded, and then fell through, we were filled with a sense of peace, knowing that God was in control. His timing is perfect, and only He knows what is best for us, and the precious life that will join our family.

2006 flew by in a blur, and as Stuart White, a close friend said to me recently, “natural disasters will do that to you!” I have also grown so much in the past year, and was forced to relinquish all control of many situations into God’s hands. How amazing to then see how miraculously He worked, and had been working all along. I met and worked alongside so many incredibly inspiring people, who are totally abandoned to Jesus. People that are real and no longer live for self – some had lost everything, while others had given it all away.

This week marks my two year anniversary with AIM, and I’ve seen many changes in the past year. Many times during this year I have had the privilege of sitting in leadership meetings, where we have been struggling and praying over a certain issue or problem. Suddenly, the wisdom of the Lord enters the meeting and the light bulbs go on. Frowns turn to smiles and we are immediately praising God for the answer to prayer and the miraculous orchestration of events. That is exciting!

AIM has been described as “a discipleship agency disguised as a missions organization.” This has proved true, as I’ve seen so many young people (and older folk too), grow in their walk with the Lord and take that next leap of faith.

So what lies ahead? I don’t know. I do know that it won’t ever be boring!!! God is moving all over the world, even in places we haven’t yet looked at, mobilizing His army, beginning the harvest. I have taken down the New Orleans posters in my office, not because the work there is complete, but because that was a stepping stone for me personally, and an even bigger training ground. I am excited about the future – working with a good team of leaders who understand that God is doing something big, and that we are privileged to be used by Him.

Recently I visited another organization that focuses on unreached people groups, both here in the US and internationally. We have formed a partnership, whereby we will mobilize teams of missionaries to their short term mission trips. It opened my eyes to a whole new dimension of short term missions, one that only God could bring together.

In closing here are some interesting statistics from the Joshua Project: http://www.joshuaproject.net/

Global Statistics
Peoples-by-Country		Individuals
Total	15,817	6.50 billion
Unreached / Least-Reached	6,505	2.60 billion
% Unreached / Least-Reached	41.10%	40.10%
10/40 Window Total	6,702	3.98 billion
10/40 Window Least-Reached	5,016	2.25 billion
10/40 Window % Least-Reached	74.80%	56.60%
	Count
Affinity Blocs	16
People Clusters	240
Peoples (without reference to countries)	9,597

As a family we look forward to new adventures together. Debbie will be going on her first solo mission trip in three weeks time. It is an AIM wives mission trip to New Orleans. Please pray that they will be blessed as they in turn bless the people in New Orleans. We as a family are planning to lead at least one mission trip next year, and are blessed to be able to expose Christie to serving the Lord at an early age.

Thank you all for your prayers and support over the last two years. We definitely wouldn’t be here in Gainesville, Georgia, if it wasn’t for your faithful prayers and encouragement. May you all experience God’s richest blessing in 2007.

Athol

Prayer requests:

·
For wisdom in leadership.

·
For protection while traveling.

·
For God to bless us with another child through adoption.

·
For spiritual growth and desire for God, individually and as a family.

·
For financial support for our ministry.

Final Thought.

2 Corinthians 2:12-17

When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. 14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

.

This aroma of the love of Christ in the sacrificial service of the missionary may please God, but it does not please everybody. This aroma divides the world. We must always be aware of the fact that, whether we are witnessing on the street corner or sitting in a crowded coffee shop, we are the “Aroma of Christ”