Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from Liberia! I just got off the phone with Emmanuel and Fatu, and was blessed to chat with them in the middle of their Christmas celebration. The children were enjoying a program (sounded like a movie to me?) and paused long enough to shout: Merry Christmas! We love you! That sentiment is meant for all of us who love them and pray for them and support them with everything from financial contributions to heartfelt prayers. It was such a blessing to hear the joy in their voices, and in some small way I hope that you can read this and know that you were a part of it, too. Merry Christmas. :-)

Well, Christmas is officially over at our house, and I'm firmly entrenched in the preparations for our upcoming trip to Liberia. We leave on Thursday! Please pray for our team as we pack and plan, and especially as we leave our families and children. We are so excited to spend time with our Liberian family, but it is also hard to leave the ones we love behind. Please pray for health and safe travels and most of all that the Holy Spirit will explode over our relationships and clearly reveal what the next steps should be for One Body One Hope. As we move into redevelopment, we want God's hand guiding our every effort.

Also, if you would like updates while we are in Liberia, please bookmark our blog page and check back regularly. I hope to post every other day (more if I can!) with reflections on our trip, prayer requests, and any news that develops. I'll also be bringing my own camera and computer along so this will be the first year that I can update with PHOTOS! Want to see current pictures of the kids? Stop back soon! I can't wait to post some.

Sending love and hugs from Iowa and Liberia.

On behalf of the board,
Nicole