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Christmas Greetings 2006 from the Borthwicks
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel ~ which means "God with us"
(Matthew 1:23).
We greet you in the name of the One who is our ever-present Guide, Protector, and Lord. For us, 2006 has been a wonderful celebration of Immanuel, God's constant presence in our lives through multiple changes, studies, travels and ministry opportunities. Join us in our reflection on Immanuel ~ "God with us."
INTERNSHIP & INDIA: in her counseling internship at Grace Chapel in the Pastoral Care Department, Christie has seen God at work bringing healing in the lives of both individuals and the participants in the Divorce Care recovery ministry. Though Paul's three-week trip in August to India was the longest we've ever been apart, God made His presence known by opening two new doors. First, it gave us opportunity for direct involvement with thirty wonderful Masters level students affiliated with Development Associates International. Second, it served as the first chance to introduce the "Culture, Ethnicity and Diversity" course which is an outcome of Paul's Doctor of Ministry studies.
MALAYSIA & MANILA: corresponding with the DAI initiative in strategic investment in the lives of younger leaders, God opened some wonderful doors in Malaysia at the Lausanne 'Younger Leader Gathering' for relationships with young leaders from Papua New Guinea, Australia, Nigeria, Kenya, the USA, Korea, and North Africa. Investing in younger leaders was also a theme earlier in the year in Manila as Paul taught again (for the fourth time) a 'Developing Leaders' course at the Alliance Seminary.
MOBILIZATION & MENTORING: God's presence has been very real to us in our ongoing commitment to mobilize the Church towards greater global involvement. We thank God again this year for many ministry opportunities in churches across North America and even Belfast, Northern Ireland in November! And of greater significance, God enriches our lives together through our quieter ministry of mentoring - encouraging, praying for, and sharing our lives with others.
ASIA & AFRICA: we sense God's presence and protection every year as we travel and seek to serve through Development Associates International, but 2006 was exceptional - with four trips to Asia (Cambodia, the Philippines, India, and Malaysia) and three to Africa (Egypt, South Africa, and Uganda).
NATURE: it often surprises people to discover that we're both rather introverted (though Christie holds a significant lead). God makes His presence known to us as we enjoy His creation around the world, beginning here with our kitten, our beautiful yard and flowers, the 40+ goldfinches during peak season, and a rare hummingbird-sighting. Even our local chipmunk population provides us with delightful entertainment.
UGANDA & URBANA: a very special opportunity in November gave us a chance to share in the celebration of DAI's 10th anniversary in Uganda. The stories and most notably the relationships with co-workers in Uganda, Nigeria, India, Cote d'Ivoire, North Africa, Australia, Belgium, South Africa, and a dozen other countries gave us a wonderful reminder of God's presence guiding us to join the work of DAI eight years ago. And - lest we forget - 2006 will close with the Urbana Student Mission Conference (December 27-January 1 in St. Louis this year). The Urbana conferences have always served to direct our lives and affirm our commitment to global missions - since we first attended as college students in 1973!
EGYPT & EDUCATION: "God is with us" is often a reminder that God is present in the most unusual places. The April trip to Egypt affirmed this in a powerful way as we heard stories of God at work across the Arabic-speaking world. But God also is present in the more average places - which for us continues to be our studies (we BOTH hope to graduate in May 2007!) as well as the awesome opportunities to invest in the lives of 100+ students every year teaching at Gordon College.
LOVE-LIFE & LOVE of LIFE. We�re now both a few years into our 6th decade of life, and our love for each other continues to grow deeper every year (January 2007 will be 30 years since we met at a Grace Chapel Singles Ministry meeting). And we love the life that God has given us togeth... from the community we live in to our wonderful network of friends around the world.
So~ this Christmas, join us in celebrating Immanuel, "God with us". May God make His presence known in your lives this coming year.
Thank you for your partnership with us. Merry Christmas 2006.
Christie & Paul
A note about end-of-year giving. Our budget with Development Associates International will increase in 2007 to about $7,000 per month. This includes our two part-time salaries, added health insurance benefits, and approximately $3,000 per month for office, administration, and travel expenses (every DAI international trip is self-funded; i.e., our hosts sometime cover our land expenses, but our DAI budget covers our airfares and whatever is not covered by our hosts). We thank God that we have reached our budgetary goals in the past few years, but we are aware that this has been made possible through regular givers combined with generous end-of-year gifts. If you'd like to join us in financial partnership, tax-deductible contributions (designated "Borthwick Support") can be made payable and sent to:
Development Associates International
P.O. Box 49278
Colorado Springs, CO 80949
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