December Update

Out for an evening of Christmas lights around Plaza del Sol!


Doesn't Seem Fair

Lately my heart has been heavy for the lost before me. My heart aches as I realize not only are there many people who are lost, but no one is going and telling them they are lost. For this reason it just doesn’t seem fair for us to celebrate Christmas without thought about those who do not celebrate this holiday.

I’m not talking about the gifts, the Christmas tree, lights, or stockings. I’m talking about a celebration that we are no longer slaves to our sin. The King of kings was born as our Emmanuel and gave us the only way to escape death.

Here are some sobering facts that I recently heard at a meeting I had. The population of the Americas alone is 557,438,591. Of this population 63,381,911 are evangelized. That makes 11.37% evangelized but this includes those who still practice their faith with some syncretism.

In the Americas alone there are 1,025 people groups. People groups are defined by culture, language, and location among some other factors. This is not merely nationality. The number of unreached people groups is 690. The unreached, unengaged people groups is 462. The unreached, unengaged, uncontacted people groups is 38. I hate to tell you, but the numbers among the Americas peoples are a lot better than the ones of other areas of the world.

That’s a lot of people not celebrating the birth of my Savior. That’s a lot of people who don’t know who Christ is and how he can change their lives.

Doesn’t seem fair when my eternity is certain, and theirs is yet to be determined. Let us be proactive. Let us consider opportunities such as the Lottie Moon Christmas offering. This allows for missionaries to be sent all over the world proclaiming truth. Please pray how God would have you be involved in missions. If you have any questions about Lottie Moon please ask me! Your contribution through this offering allows me to be here.

A Daughter of the King

Recently I made a friend. I was around her for one evening, but she has impacted me for a lifetime. She is brilliant, full of life, and hungry for freedom. She is from a part of the world where freedom isn’t available whenever you want it. She doesn’t want to remain there, but she has no choice.

In this country, the Gospel is not welcomed. My friends and I were able to share with her about the Bible in a short time, but my heart aches and I pray for her often because she had to leave and return to her home.

She is seeking out God, but has yet to seek out Christ. I ask God so many times, “Who will go and tell her? Who will follow up and continue intentional conversations about your Son?”

It would be crazy indeed to go to this country as a Christian. But my heart says it would be crazy to deny someone who is a daughter of the King. How can I deny her access to Truth? How can I tell her she doesn’t get to hear about the One we serve? The One who has given us freedom!

When we put it like that, it changes things. You see, it is evident that God is working in her life. I felt, along with my friends, that God’s hand is in her life , and he is moving. Pray for my friend with me. Pray that she becomes of daughter of the King and a follower of Christ. I hope I get to see her again in this world, but I hope even more to embrace her in eternity and to call her sister.

Pray that somehow Truth comes to her. Pray that someone can share more with her.

Prayer Requests

Leg pain– it really is minimal, but walking makes them hurt and with the cooler weather they ache quite a bit more

Julie and Gary Clifton as they go on their stateside assignment

For more relationships with Latinos in the coming months before Brook and I go on trips to Italy and Germany in the spring

For my friend in another country

Praises!

Continued therapy

Continued relationship building

As always let me know how you are or any prayer requests! It's encouraging to know what's going on in your world. Or even say hi. It's encouraging to know that you are remembered even if you live on the other side of the world!

In Him,
Taryn