Here is our great news!! Praise God! We are now in the new buildings! Since we came here in 2008, there have been multiple incremental moves from building to building, to keep ahead of the increasing patient load and to provide new services. On Thursday and Friday (January 19th and 20th) we finally made the big move. These new buildings house our hospitalization, urgent care, intensive care, three new operating rooms (badly needed) and a large delivery room (see lower left photo below). In some ways we feel like the children of Israel who have been wandering in the desert and now we are in the “promised land”. =) Still battles ahead but it is so good to be in the new territory!

Thursday (the 19th) we moved the sterilization department (see upper left hand picture) and got it up and running. Friday was a national holiday so as soon as the Doctors had finished rounds we began moving people; first from the recovery and intensive care areas, then from the delivery room. (Those in advanced labor did not have to move!)

When that had finished, we then moved the other inpatients over to their new quarters. We had administration, clean-up crew, nurses, the MK school kids and visiting team members all lending a hand. What a great event! By noon, much of the work was finished and we all grabbed sandwiches and salad together. By the late afternoon all the beds were cleaned and installed.

There were a few modifications made on the fly, but all it all the move went very well.  The staff seems very happy with the new buildings and quite proud of them.  Thank you for such a long period of prayer and giving that has culminated in this happy day …and new stage of progress in the work and ministry of the hospital.

PRAYER NEEDS:

We told you there was also some BAD news.  This is not concerning the hospital, BUT it concerns this country we live in, MALI.  There are rebel bands (who were mercenaries  in Libya fighting for Kahdafi) who have returned to the Northern part of this country with their weapons and want to take that region, and forming their own country.  They are reckless and well armed and have  attacked  the government military in at least 5 towns and taken some of them.   Malians are seriously concerned.   There have been demonstrations in various areas of the country demanding that the president act firmly against them and equip  his troops with better arms.   There have also been attacks on those of this ethnic group who live in other areas of Mali.  Please pray with us for the disarming of these rebels,  for a speedy end to this fighting and that the country would return to peace.  Pray.

Outreach: Teams are coming from the U.S. to help with a medical /evangelistic ministry to two villages!   These villages have had very little exposure to the Gospel.  Pray!  Your prayers are powerful.  These will be happening between February 27^th and March 5^th.

Baba, the boy who had severe facial disfigurement has had his surgery and is improved but part of the skin graft didn’t take and they will be doing another surgery.  Please pray for him, the surgeon, and for miraculous healing to his face.

Happy New Year! Grandfather Frost (Santa Claus) comes on New Year’s, and the blinking lights and decorated trees are called New Year’s decorations, so New Year’s Day is really the festive holiday around here. We as a family celebrated Christmas in quiet fashion on December 25, saw some teammates the next day, and then together put together some gift bags with treats and toys for the children who come to the church’s “soup kitchen” ministry.

We have plunged into the work here. Rob has now preached 10 times in the surrounding towns and also continues to visit believers and interested people in an eastern town with a national pastor and local evangelist. Lisa teaches Sunday School at the church, which is proving helpful to new visitors and attractive to unchurched families. On two occasions, Rob has taken two local believers and gone handing out New Testaments and making contacts among interested people in a few smaller towns. All of this is prior to starting English classes or Alpha course meetings!

Lisa continues to do the bulk of the work in homeschooling Johnny and Lydia. They are making progress in all of their subjects. Life for all three of them is certainly quite different from last year, when the kids studied at an international school! There are challenges, but on the whole, it’s working well. Please keep praying for both the kids and Lisa in regard to homeschooling.

We want to again offer a big “THANK YOU” to everyone who helped raise funds for a mission vehicle for us. We have already put the car to good use! Because it’s a small mini-van, it has been perfect for transporting both people and mall amounts of cargo. As it has 7 seats, it’s proved useful for bringing people to and from church. Its cargo space has held such diverse items as New Testaments, a large container of goat cheese, a computer desk for us, and stacks of bathroom tile. Also from the funds you helped us raise, we purchased some winter tires—and not a moment too soon, as this has been one of the coldest and snowiest winters people in the area can remember! Your investment has already gone a long way—thank you!

Praises

We are thankful for God’s hand of protection on blessing on us as none of us has been sick at all this fall or winter.

We are again thankful for the mission vehicle you helped us raise the funds for. It has been an invaluable ministry tool, and helpful personally as well.

We are also thankful for having two years of language study prior to doing the work we are doing. Without it, it would be very difficult to really teach or converse about spiritual things.

Please Pray

The children continue to express some sadness and frustration about leaving Skopje. Please pray for God’s shepherding touch on them and all of us as we change our day-to-day routines and tasks, build new ministry connections, and adjust to a new town

.Please pray for plans to offer English classes and Alpha course programs. Please pray that God would draw people hungry for the Truth to both programs!

_{“He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12, NKJV)}

We just wanted to send you all a quick note and ask for your prayers.

Ben is leaving this morning  (Thursday) to fly to California to speak and tour in the South Pacific District.  He will be visiting several churches over the next 6+ weeks in southern California, connecting with church families and individuals, sharing with them what God is doing in northeast Germany, and encouraging them to continue in their depth of following and serving God in His global mission.  Please pray for great connections for Ben; for Him to speak clearly and to hear from and speak out of God’s heart; for open hearts to receive the Spirit’s encouragement and that the Lord would move people to new levels of commitment and action; for safety in Ben’s travels; for Ben to be empowered by His strength and wisdom…
Please pray for Sarah and the kids, as they will be staying here in Toledo during this time.  Pray for strength for Sarah, as she continues to minister in leading Bible studies and meeting with ladies & families; for the children, that they would be great “happy helpers” (in Hannah’s terms) for their Mommy, and that they would listen and obey WELL!; for us as a family, that God would continue to keep us strong together, even though we’ll be separated by miles and miles and three time zones.

Even with this tour, we are also continuing to work on a few things, including preparing for the missions week at our home church in mid-March, thinking ahead to our move back to Germany in mid-June and all that entails, and planning and preparing for our new English Retreat in mid-July after we move out of Berlin and into our new location, Waren.  Please pray for wisdom, efficiency, clear guidance and for God to provide all the we need to do what He wants us to do — we’re wanting to follow His lead, of course…

We love you all and appreciate you so much — thanks so much for kneeling and praying with us, you are fantastic!

Many blessings, prayers and thanks,
Ben, Sarah, Travis, Hannah & Emma

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We trust this message and attached newsletter finds you all in great anticipation for celebrating the reality of Christmas! Thanks so much for partnering with us, praying with and for us, and for supporting us in so many ways! Many of you are receiving this prayer/newsletter for the first time — thanks for teaming up with us!

If God is moving you in a specific direction to give and support us financially, or if you are wondering how you can practically support us, please consider giving in one of two ways: through supporting us specifically through giving to the Great Commission Fund here, or through giving towards our practical need of purchasing a vehicle upon our return to Germany here. We highlight these, because your generosity and joyful giving allow us to work together to minister and be a light in a dark corner of northeastern Germany — and, after a full term without owning a vehicle and relying on public transportation, bikes and our own two legs, we will be moving out of Berlin and will be in need of a vehicle for our family of five.

Thanks for considering and allowing God to work through you in this way, and as always, it is humbling yet so encouraging to know that we are working together for His glory! Please let us know how we can pray for you as well — we ARE in this together!

Blessings & Merry Christmas!
Ben & Sarah, Travis, Hannah and Emma

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Please join us in prayer as we seek God’s direction about planting a new church in our area of the city. This church would have two primary purposes: 1. Train STT Jaffray students in principles of leadership and shepherding, and 2. Spread the Light in an area of darkness with one of the primary focuses of the church being “Fishing.”…

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