Dear Family and Friends,
You will not believe how much has happened here in the past two weeks. I will shoot for brevity as I write this update! 
I guess the first news I will share with you is that Barbara is now back in the US once again enjoying life on the west coast. Her last five days here were spent saying her good-byes and trying to fit all her gifts in her two suitcases! Thanks for your work, Barbara!!
As of Thanksgiving Day, New Life for Children Ministries became the proud owner of a 92 Ford Escort diesel station wagon. (I know my parents are hootin’ and hollerin’ about this given my previous insistence as driving sports cars.) This is a HUGE praise and we have a new sense of freedom. I have affectionately named the car Carolina, in honor of my birth state and the state of my home church. Pavel says the front doors and hood are North Carolina while the back doors and trunk are South Carolina….isn’t he clever?? (The sarcasm drips from my lips here.) I photo of Carolina (with Pavel and Esti in her) has been attached so you may rejoice with us. Carolina has been a blessing many times over and the fact that she consumes 100 kilometers per 6 liters of diesel is an added blessing!!!
I am praying that my next vehicle purchase will be a 4X4 truck with mud tires. No, I am not joking and this has absolutely nothing to do with my rural upbringing. If I should break out into song beginning with “Blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots…..”, you could laugh. But, if you could see the roads (or lack thereof) that we are forced to travel down, you would understand the need for this vehicle. It is not practical to have a sports utility vehicle because they are stolen daily. In fact, two missionaries that I know here have had their SUVs stolen. Because we live on the border, the criminals can generally get them out of the country quickly. We are checking into the theft ratio of pick-up trucks. (Praise God, Carolina is not a highly sought after vehicle. I do, however, have an outdoor locked garage for her at night. Yet another blessing!)
The biggest news of the month is that Crizantina and her family now reside in their new home. Yes, that’s right, they moved this past Friday!!!…all 14 of them. Here is the breakdown. Crizantina’s mom and dad have eight children, two of their daughters are married so their husbands came, too. Both married daughters have a baby. Add them all up and you have 14 people living in three rooms…rejoicing mightily at the provision God has made. It is three times as big as their old one room earthen home but this one is a far cry from a normal home here. We are buying the supplies to help them repair and renovate it so they can have a bathroom. When I visited today, Crizantina’s was beaming. Attached is a photo of me with Crizantina’s family in front of their new home.
When I visited Crizantina last week, I was dumbfounded to find Crizantina walking easily WITHOUT braces. Her family has done a splendid job in caring for her and they are proud to show me her accomplishments each time I visit. Attached is a photo of Crizantina walking with me without her braces….can you say AMEN!!!!
Since I last wrote, winter hit….we have gotten snow!! This is not a praise report. I do not like snow (except for when inside) and I am finding more and more ways to stay inside. My house is unusually warm and this is a praise report! The radiators here are controlled by the government so people have no control over how hot or cold it is in their home. There is no way to know when this communist installed system will change.
The Seacoast team will arrive next Wednesday and we have arranged a VERY busy schedule for the gift distribution. I received an email last week that was an unexpected blessing from one of my supporters in Columbia. She wanted to come and help with the gift distribution but decided that she could better serve with her money and she has agreed to pay the cost for the bus that we will need!! Hallelujah!! The team will be accompanied by a group of youth that will perform a drama at each distribution about the birth of Jesus. Everyone is getting excited about this project!
Thank you for tolerating this lengthy email. May God bless you during this glorious Christmas season!!
Basking in the Son,
Michelle
Posted on December 12th, 1999 by Michelle
Filed under: Michelle's Journal