Dear Friends and Family

At the beginning of this year I wrote in a newsletter that I felt God say to me, “This year will be a year of extended grace.” This year has been nothing less! With that grace we’ve done more out reaches, more home visits with students, and more one-on-one discipleship than any year before and we’re on a smaller budget than any year before. I say this with complete awe that God is so merciful to me and my family.

The other day my wife and I were sitting and talking together. We were discussing finances and all the costs of next year’s school books and other ministry. She reminded me of something very true. She said, “I keep trying to think up ways to make money or save money to get ahead and lessen the stress of random emergencies, but then I remember that it’s not my job. It’s God’s job to provide, and my job to do the best I can with what He’s given me.” Please know that I am not saying we don’t have a part to play, but Jesus said in

Mat. 6:27 ” Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?”

I shared this story earlier in the year, but I want to say it again. At the beginning of the year my father-in-law gave us all the things we needed to open a hardware store and built a room for it. We had not planned to do this, Frank just asked if we would like to manage it here and he’d take care of the rest. We didn’t know it, but at the very same time we had lost a third of our monthly support. We traveled to the city to pick up our money for the month and were surprised to see the change in income. But the income we got from the new hardware store that very month was exactly what we needed to make up for it. I hadn’t planned to open a store. I didn’t know our support would go down, but God did, and He provided for us before we even knew we would need it.

My wife and I do our best to live as Paul says in

Phil. 4:11 ” Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

Losing a third of our income would have had a huge affect on our ministry here in Palacios, but, as always, God provided what was needed. It’s all in His hands. He determines our steps and loves to show His children that He is all we need. I share this to encourage you. I know that we are not the only ones to live by faith and Satan loves to fill our minds with doubt and fear. So this Holiday Season bring back to memory those times when God provided for you in the past, and let them bring reassurance for your future. Speaking of the future, we are in need for next year and I am one who struggles to ask for help. I’m often prideful of my so called faith to need no one but God, but thankfully, He hasn’t grown tired of humbling me yet, and I know that God made the body of Christ to support each other. So I am just going to come right out and list some of next years’ needs. We have 14 students who need support for the coming year. Please pray about supporting one, or encourage others to.

We’ve set up a Paypal account on our web site where you can also get more information about the children you are supporting: missionairieswithoutboundaries.com

It’s been about 4 years since we’ve had a construction team come down, and the mission has many things in need of repair or replacement.

Here are some projects we’d like to do this coming year:

• New fencing along the front of the mission grounds
• New roofing on a mission house
• New roofing on storage sheds
• Painting the school building and mission house

Your servant in Christ,

Nathan Lloyd-Jones