Another answer to prayer! Denland Ezekiel Kwelling arrived this week Wednesday! We have requested much prayer for his mother. You may remember that 5 years or so ago, I mentioned that a young lady brought her fiancé to church. Both were saved. The month before she was married, she received a package from family in Holland. She went to the post office anticipating getting some wedding present. Instead, when the customs officers opened the package in front of them as usual, a family member who came with her disappeared running. There was a bottle of hashish (an illegal narcotic) inside - and the girl was arrested. The police knew that she was innocent, but wanted to keep her as a sort of "bait" to get her family member who was guilty. She was finally released one week before the wedding.

She had problems getting pregnant in the years after her marriage, and told us that a witchdoctor had "done something when she was a young child" and told her family that she would never have a child. Finally after seeing the doctor and having a minor procedure done, she became pregnant but had a miscarriage at three months. This, of course, would only confirm the family's belief in witchcraft, since almost all are unsaved except herself and a sister-in-law.

When she was found to be pregnant again, the church started intensively praying for her. In addition to our regular weekly prayer meeting, they had a group of about 15-20 persons come together for prayer with her on a monthly basis, recently intensified. She was admitted at 38 weeks with high blood pressure, and had a successful delivery by C-section the following day of a lovely large baby boy! The entire church erupted into joy when we gave the news Wednesday night a few hours after the delivery. Pray that this will be a great testimony to her family, and that souls will be saved.

I had also asked you to pray about my decision that it is time for me to step down as senior pastor of the main church, and to be in a more advisory position. There is no ideal obvious candidate for the position, which is why we have not done so earlier. However, I felt strongly that the Lord was leading, and had asked 10 of the leadership of the four churches individually who also concurred. So I spoke with the leadership of the main church, and they are in the process of setting a candidate in order. Then this past Sunday morning I made the announcement to the main church. Actually I did not detect a big emotional response, though some responded quite appropriately that it was a good time as I would still be present in the country and available for counsel. I was not certain what the response would be, but I believe that all recognize that it was simply a question of the right time. Since the church will become independent, it hardly seems independent if the senior pastor is still a missionary. Our leadership met with several of our older men afterwards who pledged to get behind the candidate.

Sunday evening we will be presenting the statutes of the church for the second time. I believe that the leadership has done an excellent job. I hope that they will be accepted without major dissent. Then the leadership will decide about the time of actual transition. I anticipate it will be in early January.

Otherwise things are relatively quiet at the moment. The Advanced Bible Institute continues to have new persons coming into it - some by correspondence and others directly into the classes. We are now above 30 students. There are a few other students in the regular Bible Institute as well, but much fewer than last year.

Prayer requests:

1. Our spiritual growth
2. Health and strength and safety day by day
3. Souls saved and discipled
4. The process of independence for the churches
5. My replacement as senior pastor of the main church
6. Continued blessing on the Bible Institutes, radio and TV ministry