BAPTISM: Last Sunday we attended Igreja Baptista de Ramada to attend the baptism of one of our students. Most of our teaching staff were in attendance to witness this important step of obedience. It was a thrill to observe this student’s courage in taking a stand for Christ.

ELISABETH THOMAS: Please keep praying for one year old Elisabeth who is going through chemo therapy to shrink a cancerous tumor in her kidney. On Thanksgiving Day she will have surgery to remove the kidney. God is answering prayer and sustaining Elisabeth, her three older siblings and her parents.

UPCOMING CONFERENCE: We are asking for special prayer for our Association of Baptists for World Evangelism Western European Conference which is held every three years during Thanksgiving week. This year the conference is being held in Southern Portugal. It will be attended by 130 missionaries, national partners, and workers from around the region. Workers in this part of the world face constant resistance to the gospel. The purpose of the Conference is to refresh and encourage the workers through the provision of special worship, the ministry of the Word of God, and various training workshops. Several churches are sending teams to work with the children and teenagers, freeing their parents to attend the adult sessions. Pray that we and the other missionaries and national workers will be renewed in our love for God and return to our fields of service overflowing in faith, joy and zeal to serve Christ.

Thanksgiving is an American holiday. Portugal does not have anything equivalent to it. As in America, shopping malls are already decorated for Christmas and mobs of people are spending their recently received stipends. (Portuguese workers receive two extra months of pay a year, one in August and one in late November) December is one of the months when we observe the most materialism here as shopping carts are piled high and there are LONG lines to have items gift wrapped.

CHRISTMAS PROGRAMS: Our school will be presenting a Christmas program on December 10th. Please pray that some of our unbelieving parents will attend and be touched by God’s message.

Igreja Baptista de Loures plans to perform its Christmas program on three different days. The goal is to reach people outside our church family with the true message of Christmas. Cal and I will be a part of the music ensemble.

As we think about Thanksgiving and all the things we have to be thankful about, each of you comes to mind. We thank God for each of the churches and individuals who support us. We are also so very thankful for our families who sacrifice much as we spend holidays away from them year after year.

Yours for the Lord of the Harvest,
Cal and Joyce Voelker