a high school of almost 3000
students! She has enjoyed
participating in the youth activities at North Richland Hills Baptist Church. Of
course, as all “third culture” kids can attest to, they are both homesick
for Nicaragua. Holiday Greetings to all of our friends and family!
We hope you are all enjoying this season as we reflect
upon the birth of our Savior and the gift of life He brings.
As we carry out our year of Stateside Assignment, we
move into a new phase in the life of our family.
Timothy graduated from Nicaragua Christian Academy in June and is now
attending Mississippi College. We
are so proud of him and thankful to God for His continued direction in Tim’s
life. Angela is in ninth grade at Haltom High School this year.
It has been quite an adjustment for her to move from NCA with almost 200
students in preschool through twelfth grade to a high school of almost 3000
students! She has enjoyed
participating in the youth activities at North Richland Hills Baptist Church. Of
course, as all “third culture” kids can attest to, they are both homesick
for Nicaragua.
We are blessed to be living in the missionary residence provided by North Richland Hills Baptist Church, the same church Keith and Penny were members of when they began seminary twenty years ago! Living here provides the added of advantage of living within an hour of most of our family. We do look forward to seeing Keith’s sister Rhonda and her family, as they will be coming to Texas for the holidays.
As missionaries in Nicaragua, our main priority is
to focus on the people groups who are still largely unreached in the Spanish
speaking areas of Nicaragua. Keith is responsible for finding and carrying out
strategies to reach those people groups. His main task of the last two years has
been to work with new missionaries, as they form church planting teams and
develop plans to reach the lost in their specific population segments.
Jimmy
and Harriet Eager lead a team to reach people living in Urban Marginal
Communities. For the people living in these impoverished communities survival is
a day-by-day struggle. It is a challenge to find ways to share with them the
message of salvation and eternal life with them when they can hardly even
contemplate tomorrow. Penny has been a part of this team and has worked with
women and children holding weekly craft/evangelism classes and soy workshops.
Steve and Mary Waechter are working to reach the professional
Nicaraguans. Most people in this group feel they are self-sufficient and don’t
lack for anything money can buy. In a recent project in which Christian
businessmen held conferences on University campuses, over 80 indicated a desire
to receive Christ as their Savior! Loren and Karen Dickey have been in Nicaragua
only a year and are working to reach the lost in the rural departments of Boaco
and Chontales. Getting to many of the unreached villages of this area requires
hours of travel over bad roads, and sometimes riding a boat down the river,
riding horses or walking several hours.
Since November of 1998 Keith has also coordinated the
disaster relief projects on behalf of the victims of hurricane Mitch. Such
projects include food and supply distribution, house construction and agricultural projects. ISC
missionaries Art and Dottie Dennis have worked tirelessly with volunteers from
the U.S. in house construction for hurricane victims. Local pastors have put in
long hours working in all facets of these projects and coordinating evangelism
efforts in new refugee communities. As a result, many people have received
Christ as their savior and several new congregations have been formed.
We are truly thankful to God for the honor of serving him in on the mission
field. We also thank each of you who give to missions through the Cooperative
program and the Lottie Moon Christmas offering.
Your faithful giving makes it possible for us to continue to live and
serve in Nicaragua.
Thank you, also for your prayer support. Please continue to lift up the
following items in prayer.
Pray for new church starts that have begun as a result of
church planting teams and disaster relief, that their members would grow
spiritually, become leaders and start new works!
Pray that God will call people here in the U.S. who will be
willing to go and serve alongside us in Nicaragua.
Pray for Steve and Mary Waechter as they follow up with those
who made decisions for Christ in the recent Christian business conferences.
Pray for the follow-up and discipleship of new converts in the
barrio Rene Cisneros as the result of a recent evangelism project carried out by
volunteers from the U.S. and members of First Baptist Church. Pray for Julio
Moreira as he and his congregation visit and evangelize in an adjacent with the
aim of establishing a new work.
Pray for several of our missionary colleagues who are dealing
with ongoing health problems.
Pray for Keith and Penny that we will be sensitive to God’s
direction as we anticipate our return to Nicaragua in June 2001.
Pray for Tim and Angela as they continue to adjust to life and
school here in the U.S.
Merry Christmas and
May God bless you all in the coming year.
Keith, Penny, Tim and Angela Stamps
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