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Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings in the grace and love of our Lord JC! Thank you for your continuing partnership and intercession for our ministries. Hopefully much fruit will be seen at your context in this New Year!
We are thankful and are excited to share some highlights of our ministries since our previous newsletter.
Ministries in a Poor Minority Ethnic Group
We visit a minority ethnic group every quarter. Currently 50 high school students are financially sponsored by our partnering ch*rch. Some of our sponsored students are orphans; and some of them have single parents who earn living in other provinces. Besides financial assistance, we make home visit to the families of students in order to provide caring and share G*d’s love to them personally. Their living condition is terribly poor. It is common that neither furniture nor tap water supply is available inside their huts.
One afternoon last November, we gathered all sponsored students and gave them some basic material necessities and winter clothing. Nick and Iris have sponsored a student. We are grateful that we got an opportunity to spend some time with her and encourage her. A short while after that, another tiny girl with full anticipation came to ask Iris whether we are her sponsors. Iris was sad and found it uneasy to answer her that her supporter was not able to come that time due to some reasons. Trying to comfort her, we felt very sorry to disappoint her. We realized again that the students’ thirst for companionship, caring, and love is far beyond financial assistance.
On the other hand, a clean water project has been started in a primary school in 2017. From exploration of the source of clean water at the top of the hill to installation of water pipes along the hillside, the project was successfully completed with the grace of the Lord. May students not only enjoy the clean water from now on, but also receive the Living Water into their lives one day!
Short Term M*ssion in January
Praise G*d! The Lord granted us an opportunity to lead a short term m*ssion team to Mexico early January. G*d is amazing; as the team was sent from a closed country. The team has served in many ways, including evang*lical and praise event, musical instrument training, worship leading workshop, and marital enrichment workshop at a local Chin*se ch*rch. Also the team has visited many Chin*se shops and restaurants to outreach Chin*se migrants. 
The compassionate ministry to children in a national ch*rch has also been visited. Both short term m*ssion team and local ch*rches are blessed, inspired, and encouraged. Two team members expressed in joy that they never imagine the freedom to share the Gosp*l to others in public. We are thankful that another two members are deeply touched and start to consider serving the Lord in full-time ministry. G*d is awesome and His name be glorified! We greatly appreciate your support and pr*yers.
New Chapter of Our Ministries
Since last year, the government has been tightening the freedom of religions in a very strict way; in particular, many ch*rches were forced to close and numerous believers were persecuted across the country. Meanwhile the government has been “re-educating” all national pastoral staff of registered ch*rches and putting varieties of restrictions to religious activities. Facing this challenge, it is sad that the ch*rch, which we started to partner in 2015, no longer walks in the truth. With pr*yers for G*d’s mercy and protection upon believers in the country, we made a very difficult decision to terminate the partnership with that ch*rch. Please pr*y for G*d’s direction and provision to the new chapter of our ministries.
Last but not least, we sincerely appreciate very much for your love and support in the m*ssion journey. Without your pr*yers, it is impossible for us to serve here.
With love and thanks,
Nick and Iris