Helping Hands Pantry News

PANTRY ITEMS NEEDED:  Deodorant and plastic bags again

Than you!

OUR SYMPATHY

Our heartfelt condolences are extended to Guy Hastings. His brother, Clarence Hastings, Jr., passed from this life on Christmas Eve, December 24th. Services took place on Wednesday, December 28th, in Belton.  Our love and prayers are with Guy, Charlotte and all the family and friends who knew Clarence.

Congratulations . . .

. . .to the happy great-grandparents, Sheri & David Zoller! We rejoice with them, the parents, and other close relatives and friends over the safe delivery of Madeleine Noami — Burks, who was born on Thursday, December 22nd to Elizabeth Burks & Eddie Heriberto Hernandez. She weighed in at 9 lbs. 1 oz., measuring 20 inches long.

May God always bless her and the family richly.

Beautiful Footnotes

“At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ….“  Colossians 4:3 (ESV). Paul, as a missionary of God’s gospel asked the Colossian Christians to pray for the working of the gospel in the lives of those Paul spoke to. In the following note the Welches ask for our prayers that the door may be further opened there in Cambodia. Please pray for this effort and our fellow workers, the Welches. For the elders, Ken D

Greetings from tropical Cambodia. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! The rice harvest is in full swing, the breezes are b lowing in cooler temps and the rainy season has finally ended. Cambodia is especially lovely during the holiday season. We hope the weather is pleasant where you are and that you get to enjoy a white Christmas.

We are thanking the Lord and thanking you that although the preparations began a lifetime ago, this month we begin our journey into the mission of God in a new community. We have been praying for our new neighbors and others in the community long before we have met them. We are so blessed by the Spirit of Jesus to be in this place at this time, serving Him, working in His vineyard, and proclaiming the Kingdom of God. It is only the Lord who already knows of the result from each conversation, each new relationship. We trust, not in our own strength, but in Him alone! As of the first of December, we rented a new place in a housing development with more of a communal spirit than other places we have lived. We looked hard and prayed a lot about finding the right community to make disciples and plant a church. We are confident that God has already answered our prayers which continually plead to Him for the Spirit of God to be already working in this neighborhood. We hope to join Him here. Our part is to be holy, set-apart, good-hearted neighbors in the community, ready for sharing the hope that we have, intentionally turning conversations to the spiritual, and sharing/studying the truth from God until all have had a chance to hear His Good News.

Your part, in partnership with us is to pray.

Pray for the example we are to the neighborhood, especially as our Christian example differs from “good neighbor” Buddhists around us.

Pray that hearts will be open to learning about the real Jesus whom they’ve not yet had chance to know.

Pray that the Name of Jesus will be praised and glorified by the fruit of our hearts, hands and lips.

Pray that we will discover heads of households who will receive the good news with joy and zeal, followed by their whole family putting on Christ as Lord and Savior.

Although it is perfectly normal not to give or to know names of acquaintances in Cambodia, we hope that in the next note we send we will already have the names of some of these folks so that you might pray for each by name. In the meantime please keep praying and praying for this community called Lotus Lake.

Our prayer for all of us is that we walk and live by Spirit of Jesus in every nook and cranny of our lives. May He fill us to overflowing with joy, peace, faith, hope and love.

JOY TO THE WORLD—THE LORD HAS COME! HIS GLORIOUS KINGD OM IS FOREVER AND EVERMORE!!!

Eternal love and blessings, Dennis & Sharon