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Christmas 2001
Dear Friends and Family,
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light
has shined." Isaiah 9:2
Christmas reminds us that the Son of God did not come to this
world without his share of problems. On the contrary, as he was
about to be born, Mary and Joseph had to take an uncomfortable
trip and ended up sleeping not in a simple room in a house, but
with the animals in a stable. Well, if your life, like ours, seems
a little out of bend, and if darkness seems to be sometimes overbearing,
the star of Bethlehem will certainly shine brighter for you, as
we pray it will for us.
The school year ended well with the first graduation at the Missionary
Training Center, on November 17. There were nine students graduating
with different types of degrees, depending on the concentration
of their studies. Commencement exercises were held at the Independent
Presbyterian Church at Estreito. An exciting part of it was the
presentation of white cotton bands for their gowns, with the embroidered
symbols of the Independent Presbyterian Church and of the Training
Center. The latter is the representation of a person sowing. These
bands were placed on the shoulders of each student by someone
that had blessed their lives throughout their studies, someone
they had chosen from the church at large. It was a wonderful way
to illustrate the connection between missionaries and the sending
churches.
On November 18 we had the commissioning service for those who
had finished their second year and are now starting their internships.
Once again we experienced the joy of accomplishment and the sorrow
of parting, as many of them will be moving away. Eight students
were in that group. I would like to ask you to pray for Doni and
Eliane, as they join Itamar in Rio Grande do Sul, south of here.
Sonia and Elisane will be working among the Caiuá Indians
and would also appreciate your prayers.
Thanksgiving was a celebration with a couple of friends, Rony,
a young man who befriended Tim Jr. and studied together with him,
in preparation for college entrance examinations, and Cristiane,
Jenny’s friend who lived with us for about three months recently.
We are especially thankful for Jenny’s health, which has
been stable and also, more recently, for her profession of faith.
That brought much joy to our hearts.
Blessings to you all during this season…
Tim & Marta
The 2002 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 258
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