By: Sean Miller
Coming Home For Christmas
We are excited to share about our December and January plans! We were recently approved and recommended to take a four week trip back to our home towns to visit our families for Christmas and New Years. We will also spend time with many of our friends and support team. Originally when we moved to St. Kitts & Nevis, we desired to take a short three-week trip back over Christmas. However we did not see many ways that it could be financially feasible. We were recommended to take a refresher trip back to see family and friends by our regional leadership, with all that has happened over the past year, it will be much needed and beneficial.
We pursued getting the short trip officially approved, and splitting the cost between frequent flier miles and our account funds at CEF. Through discussion, CEF HQ advised us that we need to spend a longer amount of time for family and friends, and also to share the vision with others, as we greatly need to be at 100% support to finish our time here strong. This was approved by leadership in the States and the local National St. Kitts and Nevis Board. We are really looking forward to seeing so many of you!
When? We are planning around the week of December 17th through January 21st or so, depending on how the flights work out. Ideally it would work to spend around December 20-28 in Texas, January 4th-16th in Montgomery, and all the times in between/after with my family in Spanish Fort. We urgently need your help, because every day that goes by the chances of getting tickets the way we need them to work out diminish. I have enough frequent flier miles to cover my ticket, so we are in need of a few special, one-time gifts amounting to $1500 donated ASAP to purchase the tickets for Mandi and Maddy. This is done through CEF HQ through our support account, so this is all fully tax-deductible and part of our CEF field expense.
Would you prayerfully consider giving toward this? You can go to the “donate” page for instructions to give online or with a physical check by click on the link here. Please mark on the memo line “flights” or in the comments so we can know that this has been raised. We would greatly appreciate it, and as you seek the Lord, know that this is an investment, as it will bring us back to St. Kitts & Nevis refreshed and ready to kick off 2013 ministry. It will lead to stronger existing support with sharing face to face about the ministry and to new supporters!
Van Accident
Friday was quite the eventful afternoon, and with the local holidays, it continues to be on our minds. Friday I was traveling through town to pay a bill, and went through a very tight, high traffic section of downtown. There is the equivalent of about 1 1/2- 1 3/4 lanes when you have cars parked on the side of the road. A petroleum truck topped off a downtown gas station and was headed back, and chose to go down that road (semi-trucks aren’t supposed to be there) as a shortcut. He also had somewhere to be so he quickly accelerated toward me and the other cars. Every car quickly tried to get out of his way, however they were smaller cars than the CEF van and his tire clipped off my back bumper and dented in the back, cracking the light enclosure, etc…
I was in my lane, and close to the curb, but simply was not a small enough car as the semi flew past me. No harm was done to either driver, and thankfully it was just me in the car. The driver privately admitted fault, said he was going to get in big trouble because this was his second accident on the same road. The police came and took measurements, took statements, and right now the accident is “under investigation” to officially determine fault. All of the evidence and common sense leans heavily in my favor, but you never know how this could turn out. The biggest issue is that who is at fault gets the “driving without due care and attention” ticket, which is quite severe, plus whose insurance pays. Please pray for correct justice to be done, and quick, simple resolution. Also pray for the driver that God would work in his heart, and my prayer is that he would not lose his job or anything.
Do You Wonder Why? Booklet Distribution
Nathan Johnston and I taught a 3-Day Club in the small village of Stapleton in early August. Not many children came due to the local holidays. It was a great club, but you sometimes wonder its effectiveness with it being so short. Just last week Esther (a girl who came only one day to club), her brother, and grandfather were at a beach and drowned. Esther was in the hospital (survived) but her brother and grandfather died. Tuesday I gave 20 CEF “Do You Wonder Why?” booklets to our contact there to give to the family and their friends. This whole tragic situation really spoke to the fact that every club matters, every child matters, even if they only come once.
You can read more about what happened here
We are so grateful for your prayers, encouragement, and support as we are here in St. Kitts and Nevis! Looking forward to sharing next week about even more that the Lord is doing in the lives of children here!
So happy to hear that you all will be able to take a long trip to rest, recoup, and visit family! I know y’all need it! Best wishes as you prepare and raise money.
And I hope everything turns out ok with the accident!