Greater Portland Baptist Church

Kevin and Stacy Byers: December 2006

Merry Christmas,

We would also like to wish each of you a happy new year in 2007. I trust you will enjoy the season and celebration with your family and friends. Like most Americans; we are more than abundantly blessed. We are thankful for the Lord's provision as we want for nothing. Our rejoicing is in God's goodness and the joy of salvation. By the way, I have noticed when you say "Merry Christmas" while handing someone a gospel tract, they take it with a smile on their face; even in communist New Jersey.

I would like to thank each of you who have already mailed cards and those who sent gifts and special words of encouragement this year. I spent some time looking over the calendar and reminiscing about our travels and various adventures. It has been a pleasure meeting you kind people and watching your churches press on through trials and testing. I feel guilty many times when I open cards from people who I honestly don't remember meeting. I have always been a "bear of very little brain," but we visited 57 churches in 2006. Add complication from a concussion due to my accident last year and that is a lot of churches to remember.

This year we survived two accidents, one baby delivery, and started another child in road school. For those unaware, road school is kind of like home school with a few extra variables. We also visited churches in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Tennessee, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania; what a year! Stacy reminds me that we missed Hawaii, but there is always next year.

This time last year 20% of our needed support was promised and we were receiving that each month. Now we have 47% of our goal coming in each month. Out of the 57 churches we visited, 11 currently support our ministry which makes one out of every five a monthly supporting church. It also means we have 46 potential supporting churches as we head into 2007. We did have a small church in Spokane inform us of their decision to raise our support by $200 per month. What a great encouragement! We have noticed that smaller churches often have a big vision for their mission program.

Stacy and I have decided to base out of New Jersey for the duration of our deputation. We are well provided for at the mission home where we are staying and we have a large number of churches in close proximity. Ideally, we would like to visit three churches each week. Since we arrived in New Jersey, we have averaged about 2.5 churches each week. Here on the east coast, there are many independent Baptist churches.

Thank you all for your interest in our ministry and family. We are delighted to represent you in Germany, and trust the Lord will grant us passage in His time. Thank you for constantly praying and watching on our behalf. You have been a great encouragement this year.

Kevin, Stacy, Josiah, Gabriel, Bella, and Caleb.