Home Assignment Updates

It has been more than a month since last we updated you on what the Lord is doing in our ministry. Like most of you, we have been very busy with holiday ‘stuff’. In the midst of that, we were able to visit a few of our supporting churches and enjoyed thanking them for being ‘beside us’ in prayer over the last 3 1/2 years of changing ministry. 

Once again, our ministry is changing. Using funds provided to us by ICA to help us relocate into a new ministry, this Sunday, Jan. 9th, we will fly to Niamey, Niger, to visit the ministries there and to envision how we might be a part of them. These ministries involve an international (MK) school in Niamey similar to ICA (our former ministry), an elementary school for nationals directed by EBM (our mission) but staffed by nationals, several seminaries throughout Mali, Niger and Benin which train nationals to be pastors, and many church-planting efforts throughout these same countries. Please pray that God will make His direction clear to us as we consider what He is doing in West Africa and whether He will continue to use us there.

While in Niger, we hope to have an opportunity to return to ICA with our field director to retrieve our household goods (as well as those of other EBMers) and other items to be used in the ministry in Niamey. These will be stored in Niger so that if we return there after our furlough, we will not have to ‘outfit’ once again. If not, they will be available to other missionaries for their use. Please pray for wisdom as to whether to make the trip, and then for safety as we hope to secure transport of these goods by truck out of Cote d’Ivoire.

We will keep you posted in the next few weeks while we are back in Africa.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.”

John 3:16

Many of us have spent a lot of time in the past few weeks trying to come up with that perfect gift for everyone on our gift-giving list. Whether we make these gifts with our own hands or spend too many hours running from store to store to find the latest gizmo, our Decembers are often consumed with thoughts of giving. For most of us, there is that one person on our list who takes more creative thought than anyone else ? the person who already has everything you can think of, or the person who doesn?t usually like the gifts no matter how hard you try.

Two thousand years ago, God faced a similar gift-giving quandary, only His problems were much different. He didn?t have to search for the perfect gift ? He had that. However, He had to find a creative way to give this Gift to people Who didn?t even like Him, and then convince them how much they needed this perfect Gift. So ?when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son?? to be born in a manger that first Christmas night (Gal. 4:4). The rest is history ? no matter how much some are trying to deny it.

In last year?s Christmas greeting, we wrote ?the uncertain future of International Christian Academy (ICA) in Cote d?Ivoire has kept us wondering what God is doing in our lives. We?re continually reminding ourselves that we are walking in faith.? So much has happened this past year, but not much has changed with respect to our wondering. Many of you have followed the news of our recent evacuation and faithfully prayed for the safety of the staff and students of ICA. God answered those prayers. We didn?t expect to be part of this Christmas season here in the states. We thought we would be missing friends and loved ones from ?back home? while enjoying the Christmas traditions of ICA with many returning staff and students. God?s plans were different though, and we now find ourselves enjoying Christmas in the USA while missing our friends and loved ones from ICA. We are truly blessed by how God is using your prayers. Thank you!

As we look ahead to 2005, we ask you, our faithful prayer warriors, to pray for:

? God?s clear direction as to our future ministry. ICA will not be re-opening in Bouak?, Cote d?Ivoire;

? God?s continued work in the hearts of those we left behind ? the French among whom we lived and our African friends;

? peace in Cote d?Ivoire.

Have a very special Christmas and a blessed New Year!

We’re here in America in time for Thanksgiving – something we asked some of you to pray for. We’d rather be at ICA; but since we can’t, we’re glad to be with family on Thanksgiving. We arrived in Cleveland on Friday night and have been catching up ever since – on sleep, on food, on relationships, and ministry details. (Of course, Lois has been ‘catching up’ on shopping with her sister.)

As we will be the states for a while, our updates won’t come as often. We will keep you posted as we pursue future ministry opportunities. Please pray for the Lord’s clear direction as we consider all the needs and opportunities.

PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW CONTACT INFORMATION! At the moment we’re rotating between family members until we move into a place of our own. We’ll provide that address later, but for now we can receive mail at:

Gillespies
468 Gloucester Circle
Brunswick, OH 44212

Thanks for your love and prayers,