Once again, we cherish and depend on your faithful prayer support.

God is blessing our Bible Institutes: We began the 18^th year of our Sranantongo Bible Institute this year with 14 students on Monday night, and 5 additional students taking correspondence. Seven additional students from two other schools who have been with us two years apparently forgot the messages we had sent, and failed to show. I expect them next week. This number is a great blessing.

Even more challenging, the advanced Bible Institute began with 18 students last Tuesday night. The first lesson went well. I am recording my voice as well on PowerPoint and hoping to find a way to transfer the material to a regular DVD which can be played on a regular DVD player. The material now recorded works fine on a computer, but only a few students have computer access. I would welcome technical advice. Liz is also auditing the program. Her input and help are invaluable.

We have an offer from Indiana Fundamental Baptist College in New Paris, Indiana to have our students also receive credit from this institution. We are working out the details. This is a blessing for the potential for our students in the future, and a challenge to maintain top quality in our program. Should the student go to the USA for additional Bible training in the future, then they would have completed a substantial portion of their training before arrival.

I will be teaching a two month module on leadership, then approximately the same amount of material on worldwide outreach, including the theology of missions, history of missions, translation issues, and persecuted church. We will follow with the materials from the Worldwide Bible Institute that we began in English last year, and also a number of practical critical topics for the church. I am looking forward to the challenge, but feeling a bit overwhelmed with the amount of work to get organized and translate the materials.

Fall schedule: We are beginning to schedule for our three months teaching time in the USA, as well as reporting to churches and challenging churches and students in the area of missions, as well as translation. Please join us in prayer that the Lord would open those contacts which would be profitable to His work.

Baptisms: We were pleased to have two ladies baptized last week. We hope that others will follow their example soon.

Annual meeting: I had failed to mention last week that we had a good annual meeting of the missionary team in Moengo last week. The following day we also enjoyed the annual recital of the missionary children, and had a fun exchange gift game as well. We enjoyed an extra evening with the grandchildren New Year's eve, and returned to Paramaribo on New Year's day.

Financial matters: Beginning January 1, 2009, our finances have switched over to Baptist World Mission. Pray with us as we adjust to a different financial reporting system, and as our churches and personal supporters switch to our new address.

Just a reminder that the address is:
Baptist World Mission
PO Box 2149
Decatur, AL 35602-2149

Prayer requests:

1. Our health and strength for the task
2. Our continued spiritual growth
3. Meetings with the preachers tonight, and the leadership in a week to pursue independence of the churches
4. Unity and spiritual growth in the churches
5. The Bible Institutes
6. Soulwinning and discipleship
7. Scheduling for this fall