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          It’s December in Quito! This weekend is the celebration of Quito’s founding by the Spanish in 1534, next weekend is a three-day Share-a-thon by our radio station, and we have other parties and events leading up to Christmas and New Year’s. The weather doesn’t feel like Christmas, but the busyness does.
          2015 has been a great year. Our Spanish is improving (slowly), as is our competency at work. Building friendships with Ecuadoreans is also a slow process. The long-time missionaries here seem to expect that our first three-year term will be spent in training, but it’s a surprise to us!
          Along with visits from “kids” in May and October, we spent part of November in the U.S., mostly visiting family. We’ve traveled and explored this beautiful country a bit, busing and often staying in hostels. Sometimes we’re three times the age of the young backpackers, but we have a good time.
          One of the year’s highlights was Scott’s jungle trip to help with a community clean-water project. Check our last newsletter for the story and photos.
          God has faithfully provided for us this year, watching over our family and nudging people to donate and pray. In addition, next year our health insurance premiums are dropping over $400 a month (yay!), which raised our pledged support thermometer quite a bit. As always, you can donate via our web page or mail a check:  here’s how.  Thank you!

          May the joy, hope, and celebration of Christ’s coming fill your hearts and homes this Christmas season.

How Can You Pray for Us?

Thanks for:

• God’s continued care
• A new 2-year lease on our apartment
• Our donors and pray-ers

Requests:

• Improved Spanish
• New friendships
• Blessings on our family, especially a new grandbaby due in February.
• Health for Jody’s eyes: a retinal problem has emerged to complicate the glaucoma in her bad eye
• Reach Beyond’s ministries worldwide:  our hospital, clinics, water projects, medical caravans, radio stations, and training for national missionaries and pastors

And here are some photos of our year we hope you enjoy!

Flour sacks in the grocery store:  free fabric for Jody!

Otovalo Market: spoons almost as tall as Jody

Lake Quilotoa

Quilotoa Trail

With our daughter Vjera–that’s part of Quito behind us

Mindo & the Cloud Forest (Jody & Vjera)

Papallacta with our son Simon

Hiking Pichincha

All dressed up for the hospital’s 60th anniversary

An early Thanksgiving in Oregon–almost our whole family!