Happy New Year to you all! We pray you are enjoying a great new year in 2006! We know it has lots of great things in store for your families as well as ours.

We have been having a busy time here as a family but a very fulfilling time as well! We are back to our school year and the kids are doing very well! Right now, we are reading and studying, ‘Stuart Little’. We are enjoying it! We also started a Spanish Language course as a family! Hola mi amigos! ? Que Tal?

Plymouth Pentecostal Sunday School Concert. Danica and Craig participated with their Sunday School class in the annual Christmas Concert. They each had a scripture to memorize and say as part of the letters ‘CHRISTMAS’. Danica was ‘T’ and Craig was ‘M’. They were so cute! As a group, they sang ‘God is Love in Any Language’ and did a sign language song. There were also performances by other children featuring a dance,

Pharmacy Christmas tree. Every year at Michelle’s previous work place, there is a Christmas Tree decorating competition. This year her co-workers prepared a tree to honor the children at Jesus Cares Family Cottage in Tobago and to share our mission work here. The ornaments are home made with photos of each child! It was really special and they won third place! They donated their award to the children here. Thanks so much for remembering us and doing something so special for the children!

Plymouth Pentecostal Church Banquet. It is such an honor to be a part of a church family here. We enjoyed sharing a lovely banquet with the congregation. We took lots of photos of all the families, children and youth!

Friends. We have made some great friends here on the islands from all different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Recently, Michelle has begun a ladies weekly bible study with some friends. It is such an encouragement to her. One friend, Maggie, returned to India to study for a few months. We had a special supper and she dressed us in special sari’s! It was a fun time!

Our Christmas Eve and Day. Christmas is a special time. We remember Christ and all He has done for us as we share with family and friends and eat lots of food! ..Oh and give and receive gifts! Michelle didn’t get into all the cleaning or sewing traditions they have here, but we had lots to do anyways! On Christmas Eve, we invited over 50 friends to come for an open house and we served Canadian foods like Chili and Fish Chowder, Veggie

Christmas Day we attended church at 7am. Michelle played a special on her flute, ‘Away in a Manger.’ Then, after opening some gifts, we went to a friend’s home for Christmas Dinner. It was very nice. Then, we took our new traditional swim in the Carribean Sea on Christmas Afternoon and returned home for our own Christmas Dinner! It was a full day! We were busy getting ready for the mission team from Truro when we got the disappointing news that they wouldn’t arrive.

The kids had a great time and enjoyed the holiday time very much. It was a wonderful Christmas for us. Thanks for the many cards and e-mails sharing your Christmas greetings. It is so nice to be thought of and remembered.

So, as January has passed and now we are well into February, Lifeforce is here and we are very busy! The kids are enjoying the team and playing with them! All the Game Boys and hanging out! Danica and Craig have a few of their drama’s memorized already!

We thank you for your continued prayers for safety and health on our family! They are felt and greatly appreciated!

Love in Christ,
Michelle, Tim, Danica and Craig

Ministry News:

Happy New Year everyone! We hope you enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and New Year! It has been a whirlwind for us already this year and we will try and share it all with you now! It’s time to catch you up! We are excited with what this new year will bring in us and through us, as God moves here in Tobago. You are a part of it all! We so thank you for your prayers and financial support. God is doing great things here.

PROJECTOR PROJECT COMPLETED! This is great news! God has provided the rest of the outstanding funds for our multi media projector! Thank you so much for your giving to support us here! Tim has been using this projector to enhance all his presentations in schools, churches, training and network meetings. Michelle even used it in Sunday School this week to start a new curriculum using the ‘Storey Keepers’ Curriculum! It is a real blessing to enhance communication and thus their learning, in this way.

FINANCIAL UPDATE: We continue to only be at 86% of our needed monthly income. Your giving enables this ministry to continue! Join us as a ministry partner - either on a monthly basis or on a yearly basis. You can download a support form, which can be mailed to the Apostolic Church of Pentecost (ACOP) office. The address is on the form. Also, please feel free to contact us directly.

TRURO MISSIONS TEAM DID NOT ARRIVE. Our new year began with a disappointment. The mission team from Truro didn’t arrive! They were to leave Canada on Christmas Day night and arrive here Boxing Day for a week mission. They got fogged in in Halifax and the airport closed. So, they couldn’t get to Toronto for the flight to Trinidad. Air Canada tried to re book them couldn’t find flights for them all to return back to Canada. So they had to postpone the mission and they did get their tickets refunded. We will now be hosting this team from March 10-17th. It was so disappointing for them and us! So please pray for them too….It was such a hard thing to happen. God obviously had a different plan. We are all preparing now for their return.

Andrea and Mike Kent’s visit. Andrea and Mike are dear friends, ministry partners and leaders from the Truro mission team. They decided to come to Tobago for 1 week as they had already booked vacation for the mission and they couldn't get tickets on alternate dates. They visited from Dec 28th to Jan 4th. In that time, we continued with our plans for a special orphanage outing and also enjoyed some time together as friends. They were a real blessing and encouragement to us.

Jesus Cares Family Cottage Children’s Home Beach Day, Dec 30th, 2005. Since we had already shared with the children of Jesus Cares that the team from Truro were sponsoring and organizing a special beach day for them, we could not disappoint them! So, together with Andrea and Mike, our family and some dear friends, we took 18 children to Pigeon Point Beach for a day of fun! They loved taking a ‘sea bath’ as they call it here, playing at the playground, eating pizza and pop, having great snacks and loads of fun! Thank you to St James Presbyterian for sponsoring this event and all the things you sent down with Andrea and Mike to bless the children. It was a great day! As you can tell from the photos it was a great success! Check out the photo album!

THE LIFEFORCE TEAM IS HERE! The Lifeforce team arrived safely on Jan 13th. We are really enjoying getting to know them and their giftings. Already, they are busy and working in the schools, churches and other opportunities. Please keep them in your prayers as they build relationships and share Christ. Their names are: Ashley Neustaeter (returning from 4 years ago and is now co-leader), Nathan Densley (co-leader), Aaron Tysdal, Jane Galbreath , Julie Heindle (returning from last year), Cameron Sparks and Arielle Sirota.

We have been closely working with the team, orientating them to the island, ministry here and working with them during and after their presentations to connect with teens and leaders. We aren’t with them at all their events but Tim works closely with them. We have a follow up process in place for all commitments to Christ that are made.

Already God has just made their time here profitable as you can tell from their schedule that follows….. God has just opened the doors for them here in a spectacular way and they actually can’t meet all the requests they have! The fruit of their ministry on the island over the years can be seen as they went to one lunch time, student lead, bible study class (ISCF) that was lead by a young man who got saved through their ministry 4 years ago and he is now leading teens to Christ! That is awesome!

PLEASE KEEP US and the LIFEFORCE TEAM IN YOUR PRAYERS as they impact this island for Christ! The following is a rough outline of their schedule as they know it. The nitty grity details can be found on our online calendar of events. As you know, cancellations and changes can happen at any time and also they are still receiving bookings regularly. We will continue to update the online calendar,so check it out often!

They have some regular commitments besides school assemblies, youth groups and churches:

TOBAGO YOUTH LEADERS NETWORK: The Network meetings were this month on Jan 30th in Scarborough and Feb 1st in Roxborough. Both meetings were fantastic with record attendance! In Scarborough, over 25 leaders came! In Roxborough, 5 leaders! Lifeforce shared in drama, Oswald shared a game, Shinelle lead a session of prayer, Sheldon shared his experience attending the National Youth Leaders Convention in Pittsburg and Tim lead a teaching time on ‘Teamwork’ (using his new projector of course!). This network continues to grow and be strengthened. We are so blessed to share in this time together!

In November, the network published its third newsletter. Check it out at this link!

This month, Tim has had several invitations to speak with teens at youth groups and at school assemblies.

Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, National Youth Workers Forum, Jan 21-27th. Tim had the unique privilege to join with his peers in Toronto and attend a special youth workers forum. Over 85 youth leaders joined together for large group meetings and then splitting into various affinity groups. Tim participated in the ‘Community Church Networks’ affinity group with 15 key networking leaders from across Canada. The discussions focused on vision for the teens of Canada, challenges and networking strategies.

Nationally, there is a desire to recognize a national body that is coordinating the development of community church networks. Regionally, they are looking to establish regional champions or network leaders that can mentor and encourage the growth of new developing community church networks in their regions. On a Local level, they are looking for networks to keep their network profile up to date on the Canadian Youth Network Website so networks across Canada can share information and resources on networking.

Tim enjoyed being challenged at this conference and as well connecting with other who have a similar heart for youth leaders, networking, missions and the nation of Canada.

RAPE CRISIS SOCIETY. Michelle has begun volunteering on the steering committee of the Rape Crisis Society, Tobago Branch. Recently, she attended a special 2 day training on HIV/AIDS Pre and Post Test Counselling. It was very enlightening as to the prevalence of HIV and AIDS in Tobago and the efforts by which government and other NGO’s (Non- government organizations) are addressing it. Our youth need strong role models who will stand up for Abstinence and Faithfulness in Marriage!

PLYMOUTH PENTECOSTAL CHURCH: Tim continues to serve a mentoring role to the youth leadership team of our home church. He meets with them monthly and speaks monthly at their youth meetings. Michelle teaches Sunday school and has begun to facilitate leading the formation of a worship team. Please pray for this body as they move ahead into what God has for them!

UPCOMING EVENTS: I know, I know! You are asking…. Can there be any more events to list! Check out the calendar! But please also keep the following things in prayer as we also have many visitors coming to work with us this year!

As you can see, we have a full schedule! It seems things are moving at a very fast pace! Please pray for us that we are not overwhelmed by all the responsibilities and demands. We know God has His hand on each day we live here. So many stories to share of personal growth in our lives and in those we come in contact with! We dearly love the youth and people of Tobago! It is an honor and privilege to serve here.

We truly treasure your prayer and financial support… God is so good!

God Bless You!
In Christ,
Tim and Michelle, Danica and Craig