For our only caravan “get-away” this year, we had a few days at Wooyung Beach, NSW, with family

                  GOD'S PLAN OF PEACE FOR MAN

Two thousand years have come and gone,
Since that first Christmas Day,
When angels said that Christ was born
The Truth, The Life, The Way.

Good tidings of great joy, they said
To shepherds on that night,
A Saviour for all people who
Can make all wrong all right.

Glory to God the highest One
Whose plan it was to send
His own and well beloved Son
This love will never end.

God’s plan is one of peace, goodwill
Toward man of every tongue;
But everyone must now believe
In Christ, God’s only Son.

Summary

A very Happy Christmas to you all, our valued family and friends. Christmas has come around rather quickly for us this year, such is the busy-ness of our daily lives.

We went to the Brisbane International tennis at the beginning of the year, a Christmas gift from our young families. They also gave us tickets/gift cards for birthdays, that provided a wedding anniversary dinner, and three out of four orchestra recitals. Some of our most special family get-togethers during the year were for birthdays.

We have only managed one caravan trip this year, a few days down at Wooyung Beach, NSW. This was a lovely time with Ben and Joy and family, along with other families from their Toowoomba church.

Ministry has kept Russ busy, although being asked to be the speaker for a CYC “Autumn Refresh” camp provided a lovely time for us both down at a Northern NSW beach campsite.

Ruth has enjoyed sewing and gardening, and has been part of a weekly Christian craft group. Russ did a major renovation job on an old garage to transform it into a very useful workshop. Very good friends of ours, Col and Libby Krueger  came  and  stayed  with us for

more than a week so Col could help Russ get started with the job. Russ has also done some grafting to transform an old large wild orange tree into a composite Washington Navel and Valencia.

We have also had two weddings, and sadly, some funerals during the year.

We continue to enjoy good health, considering our years, and trust this brief update also finds you and your families in good health. We pray that your Christmas is a joyful time of reflection upon the love of God that motivated the gift of His precious Son, “a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.”

Thailand News

The new church building was officially opened on 23rd March and was attended by visitors from both Thailand and overseas, especially Korea. The Korean Christians have been very generous with giving towards the project. The architect and the building firm, were also Korean.

We were not able to manage the trip to be part of the opening, but we continue to pray daily for the Phrasiri church. We were privileged to be part of this work for most of our 15 years as missionaries in Thailand.

Above: The front of the building

The main auditorium

Opening day

The Year in Pictures

       Above and Below: A couple of family events

Before and After: Russ's workshop - from chaos to order

Left: Natalie on the day of her formal

Some of Ruth's sewing projects

Left: Our caravan at Wooyung Beach

Above: A tender moment with her Mum

Right: A happy group at the Autumn Refresh Camp

Family News

Both our young families have moved house in the past couple of months. Simon and Melody moved just 2½ blocks from their previous home, and Ben and Joy moved down from Toowoomba to Brisbane. It was hard for Ben and Joy and their family to say “goodbye” to many close friends. Both our young families are now less than 10 minutes drive from our place in Coopers Plains.

Natalie gained her driver’s licence at the beginning of the year, and Jake got his learner’s licence soon after. Katie has also just got her learner’s. Wow!! How the years fly!! Next year, Natalie will be our first uni student, Jake will be in his  final  high  school year,  and  the next five

are each one grade below the next older cousin. The twins will start grade three, and of course, little Amy is just two years old.

Simon and Melody are kindly hosting our family Christmas Day this year, not only for both our families, but including Sime’s brother, Tim, his wife Merryn and their three children, and Sime’s mother. We will also include a Pakistani mother and her daughter whom we all know well, to make a total of 24. It should be a lovely time.

The photos below were taken at an event to mark Ruth’s birthday earlier this year. Jake couldn’t make it so his photo, taken around the same time, is added below.

God bless and love from us both, Russ & Ruth

Left: (From left) Simon, Melody, Ben, Joy, Russ, Ruth

Below Left: Rebekah, Susan, Melody, Holly, Ruth, Katelyn, Amy, Philippa, Victoria, Natalie

Below: Jake (missing from left)