This past week we had the joy of hosting an open house for our neighborhood. It was a true blessing to meet so many of our new neighbors. We are thankful that God has planted us in a new mission field in North Dallas. We rejoice that in our old neighborhood in Plano several families came to know Christ as their Savior and are now serving with us in ministry.

 There were two neighbors who came alone without their husbands. One of their husbands had died of cancer and the other recently had a stroke. Immediately I felt a connection to these two wonderful ladies who have been through so much. It caused me to think about my wife if she were alone during the Holidays. We just began to pray over them and with them in the hallway of our home. When we were done praying, there were tears of thanks that God had brought us together to cast our cares upon Him in prayer. We are so thankful for the opportunity to pray for others that they too would know the peace of God that passes understanding. What a peace God gives when we are obedient to His word.

I marvel at the faith of Mary as she said to the angel, “Let it be to me according to your Word.” Oh that we would all respond by faith to the whisper of the Holy Spirit to reclaim the Christmas season to be about Christ and the Gospel. I am prayerful that we will not be like Zechariah, who was busy in the church about a religious act of worship and not receive by faith God’s Word that He has for us in this Christmas season. Of to be busy, but not fruitful is the plan of the enemy.

We rejoice that God has demonstrated His grace to us in our children this Christmas. Michael and Caitlin, who recently got engaged, gave us their gift on Sunday and it brought Laura and I to tears. They committed together to be BridgeBuilder 300’s and give $100 monthly to the ministry in order to further the gospel to the hurt and the least. What a joy to our hearts as their first Christmas and their first financial decision together is to build God’s Kingdom. Many of you may be deciding what to buy the person who has everything this Christmas season. Why not prayerfully invest in your mission offering, or be a BridgeBuilders 300 in honor of them, and give the give that will keep on giving into eternity. There is so much real need around us here, in Dallas, and around the world. May we prioritize the continuation of the work that Jesus began over two thousand years ago, to go and tell the good news that Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

We will be together on Christmas Day in BonTon with our family in the afternoon. Recently, Phillip Figg mentioned how his son had come to BonTon last Christmas and was knocking on doors to distribute food in the neighborhood. To his surprise, one of the residents was a young lady who worked where he worked part time and was in great need. This past thanksgiving, Phillip’s son called and said that he was bringing a family to their home for Thanksgiving day. It was the same family they ministered to last Christmas. What a blessing! For more information on our Christmas Day Event, please go to our website at www.hisbridgebuilders.org. There you can also find additional information on BridgeBuilders 300.

We (Myself, Michael, and Jonathan) will be leaving January 7^th to go to Germany and Romania. We will have the opportunity to minister and preach in Romania with our ministry there among some of the poorest people in Europe, where only 2-3% of the population are evangelical Christians, but those that are, are rich in faith. We thank God for every remembrance of you and are expecting great things from a great God!

This Christmas more than any other I am very aware of the gift of family. For so many, this is a season of great joy; but for many others it can be the most difficult time of the year. The amazing miracle of Jesus birth and ministry is that all of us who know Him as Savior and Lord are grafted into the family of God. I marvel at the blessing of my own children and how much I love them and am thankful for them, this year especially. I praise God daily for my wife and children. Some evenings, I stay up late and just look at the Christmas tree, the gifts, the stockings, and am reminded to pray for my precious family. I rejoice that I have a hope within me that is not based on my circumstances, but on a savior, Jesus Christ, who is the hope of the world.

One of my dearest friends and brothers in Christ is currently going through a very difficult time financially to start a company in this upside down economy. His soul desire in starting this company is to be able to give more money to ministries. He feels like telling the nay sayers who tell him to quit, “I am sorry, but I have decided to be hopeful.” He is not hopeful in banks or investors, but in a God who loves him and desires to accomplish great things through him for His glory. This man that I call my brother has placed everything he has on the altar to fund his new business so he can give more to ministries. He loves the poor, the orphans, and the widows and calls them God’s POWs. They are his family and he is my brother and Velma’s brother as well. God has knit our hearts together. 

Each Saturday, as my family and many others go to the inner city from north Dallas and have lunch with Velma while doing Bible studies for the community, it is just like the book of Acts. We are gathering house to house, praying, breaking bread, and sharing the Word and there is not a need among the body. Whether it is a former welfare mom, Velma, or a north Dallas millionare, we are all family. I am thankful that we can each do our part to bring the Gospel to the cities in which we live. Amazingly, God has allowed this movement to foster many new relationships between diverse segments of the body of Christ, to demonstrate His love to a lost and dying world. Recently, I received a copy of an incredible video testimony about the “power of family” sharing the relationship that has developed through our ministry between the Murphs and the Yarbroughs. This video was done for us by the Heritage Foundation and we are thankful for this incredible testimony of the power of the gospel to save us and reconcile us to God and each other. You may view this video by going to the following link:

                                                                        Video Testimony

I pray this is an encouragement to all of us, to reach out to those around us and expect great things from a great God this coming year.

Medically, I continue to feel very good and am thankful for your continued prayers. We are planning to go to Germany for medical treatment in early January that will work in conjunction with the Tarceva. By God’s grace and His provision, a family at Prestonwood has provided for our flights and accommodations to allow Michael and Jonathan to go with me. In addition, to going to Germany for treatment, we will be going to Romania to minister with Bogdon, who leads our ministry there, to some of the poorest people in Europe. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity that we have to go and serve God’s family in Romania. We will be leaving January 7^th. I will give you further information in our next blog regarding this treatment. We love you and praise God that you are forever part of our eternal family.

P.S. We have already received $13,800 towards our $25,000 matching grant, we are humbled by God’s continued goodness and grace.

I was humbled beyond words by God’s graciousness to our ministry this past week of Thanksgiving.  Johnson Ellis, a wonderful brother in Christ, shared with us how the Lord had burdened him to seek to help our ministry as a result of a simple act of obedience to give to his ministry several years ago.  Following is the e-mail he sent us regarding this wonderful gift:

      “A couple of years ago God challenged me to run a Crusade in the  island city of Parintins located on the Amazon River of Brazil.   This crusade was held in a stadium that to that time had only been  used for the very pagan- and world famous – annual festival of  the bull.  The Pastor in that city, Elmer Lessa has a dream that one day Parintins would be known more as  a lighthouse for the Gospel than it was known for this pagan festival.

One of the challenges that we faced was where to get the resources for the crusade.  We had partnered with Team Impact -the strong men who do feats of strength – and also with The Rocketman who flew in a jet pack around the stadium. They would be the draw to the Crusade. There was the expense of the stadium, the sound system, the video screens, the buses we floated up the river for transport in the city…  I was not fearful that God would provide  us what we needed financially but while we were only about a month  away from the Crusade we still were looking for God to provide 80%  of the budget.

 I remember one evening as I was driving home I received a call  from Mike Fechner.  Mike had been standing with me in prayer the  year before the Crusade  like no one else.  He had never been to the Amazon but he sensed that God was doing a great thing and that I needed much prayer.  On the phone that day Mike proceeded to explain to me that Bridge Builders had made a commitment to Christ  to give a tithe from every dollar that God gave to them.  He said  that they had recently received a donation to the ministry and  that he wanted to tithe from that gift and give Amazon Outreach  $2,000 for the expense of the Crusade.  I remember doing a couple        of things.  The first is that I almost had a wreck because I could  not believe what I was hearing and the second was the my eyes  filled with tears.  “Lord, what is this?Bridge Builders, a ministry to the needy – to the least of these with their own list of needs now coming to a ministry in another country and being a resource to provide for the lost of the Amazon?!”  That day I learned another lesson from Mike Fechner about sacrificial giving. 

A  few months ago God put a burning desire in my heart to reciprocate that generosity Bridge Builders had shown.  God opened  the doors just two days ago for that opportunity that I would like to share with you.  A foundation that helps ministries of Christ like Bridge Builders has committed up to a $25,000 matching grant  for every dollar that is raised!  If you were planning on giving $1 God has turned it into $2 for His needy children. If  you want to step out in faith and give $1,000 or $10,000 God has provided a way to multiply that to $2,000 or $20,000!

 I  know that there has to be hundreds of you out there just like me who have especially during the last 6 months had a burning desire to encourage Mike, Laura, Velma and the host of faithful workers  at Bridge Builders.  Most of you are faithfully praying for the healing of our dear Brother.  While I know that Mike would also like to see his cancer removed, I would venture to say that his heart’s desire is even more committed to seeing the cancer of  poverty and broken hearts and those lost without Christ healed by the gift that God gave us when He died on the cross for our sins.

You will get a lot of ministry letters this time of year from many ministries that are on the front lines for Christ.  Before you stick this newsletter in one of your piles around the house please  just pray this simple prayer. “Lord teach me to give the way you would give.  Use the gift that you challenge me to give today to  encourage Mike and his ministry and the least of these that they work with right here in Dallas and around the world.” 

Please pray for God to speak to His people about this amazing opportunity to advance the Gospel to the least.  If you are interested in giving toward this matching grant, please e-mail my assistant manderwald@hisbb.org to enable us to exponentially advance the gospel this Christmas season.  I am prayerful that we will never forget the joy of giving.  Amazon Outreach is an amazing ministry advancing the Gospel along the Amazon river in Brazil to many people who have never heard the good news of Jesus Christ.  By God’s grace I had the joy to go to this very city with two of my sons and meet the Pastor and share the Gospel with many who said: “Yes, I want Jesus to be my Savior & Lord.”  What a joy it is to give our lives and our resources so that others may experience the amazing gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.  There is no greater gift than the gift God gave when He sent His Son, Jesus. to save us from our sins.  “Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.”  Only Jesus would count it joy to die for us so that we might live forever with Him.  I pray that we will each experience the joy of giving this Christ season.