“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk you in Him: Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith as you have been taught, bounding therein with thanksgiving.”. Colossians 2:6-7 If we were to believe the Mayan Calendar, then we’re not supposed to be here. The world was supposed to end on December 21, 2012. But, nevertheless, the world did not end. Jesus said that no one knows the day or the hour, not the angels in heaven, nor the Son, only the Father (Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32). He also said that it’s not for us to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority (Acts 1:7). The very last thing Jesus said to His disciples before He ascended into heaven was the oh so familiar Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15). So here we are, ushering in yet another New Year. We close 2012 grateful for all the many blessings we have received, and we greet 2013 with expectant anticipation as we press forward in our pursuit of fulfi...

Greetings from the Great White North, Snow, snow, and more snow… with rain on the way.  No one can say life in Southeast Alaska is boring. Another Christmas gone, another year beginning. For us, it’s been a challenging year. We’ve lost loved ones, seen kids married or off to college; we’ve cried, we’ve laughed, we’ve rejoiced. Through it all, Jesus has been there – weeping with us, laughing with us; loving us, strengthening us. Christmas was wonderful. Bitter-sweet for us, with the recent passing of Mark’s Mom, but the time with family will be treasured. We trust your holidays were blessed as well. India ’13. May seems like a long way off, but there’s only 5 months to go. The plans are coming together and it looks like we will have a dynamic team. We’re going to continue to encourage the Indian Church to move into a culture of revival. This year’s conference theme is “Going on Offense.” In Matthew 16, Jesus speaks of the gates of Hell not prevailing. This is a picture...

  "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel". Is. 7:14 Thanksgiving then Christmas. Like day follows night, you can’t have one without the other. For me, it is a natural progression for we who believe. First, thanking God for the blessings in our lives, followed by thanking God for sending Jesus, who is, Himself, the source of all the wonderful blessings we enjoy. Ever being thankful. But it doesn’t stop there. Thankfulness turns into joyful celebration, and we decorate this most wonderful season with overflowing happiness at the thought of giving to others, as we remember how generously God gave to us. May your Christmas season be filled with more wonder, joy and love than ever before.   Activities Report Bhalchandra Kamble with Mary Ann during his visit to the US in October/November 2012. We were so blessed last month to be able to host Pastor Bhalchandra Kam...

Greeting from the snowy North,   Winter is in full swing here in Juneau with temps in the 20’s and snow on the ground. Great deer hunting weather, but the shoveling part gets old. The price we pay to live in the most beautiful place on the planet. Now, let’s get back to relationships and their eternal value. Did you know that the majority of unchurched adults that come to Jesus cite a personal relationship as the major influence for their decision? Not pastors, not evangelists, but their Christian friends are the ones that lead them into the Kingdom. With this in mind, keeping our relationships with our unbelieving friends and relatives healthy becomes an eternal imperative. But this isn’t just about winning souls, it’s about loving people, saved or not. It’s about Jesus’ admonition to love each other, His instruction on how to deal with the fallen brother (Matt. 18), His example of grieving with the family of Lazarus. It’s about Paul’s exhortation to bear up...

Greetings. I trust all is well with you today as you begin the transition into holiday mode. All of us will be quite busy from now until January 1st, but we love this time of year, don’t we? We are already quite busy at LTI. We end October and begin November with a visit from our main leader in India, Bhalchandra Kamble. He called me one day and said, “Auntie, if you can’t come to us, I will come to you.” I am very glad he is coming. Even though we visit by telephone and email, there is nothing like sitting down together in the same room for detailed discussion and planning for the future of the work in India. Thanks to Skype, Mark will be “with” us, as well. I wish I could take him around to all of you and let you meet him. Since that is not possible, I will have to settle for giving you a report next month and supply you with photos. Then, the next important thing this month is “Voting Day”, Tuesday the 6th. All eyes will be on the result of our participation.  What an i...

Greetings from the already freezing North, Yeah, you read that right, this morning our low was 14. That’s cold for October, even here. Here’s hoping it doesn’t last. It’s been a bit of a struggle to write this month, with the recent passing of my  Mom and trip plans awaiting Bhalchandra’s arrival, but I believe I have heard the heart of the Father and I’d like to share with you. As believers we often and rightfully think of what will last, what is eternal.  Our souls, our lives, our loving service for the King and His Kingdom, and our loving, intimate communion with Jesus. But there is one other facet of our lives that is eternal – relationships. And I suspect many of you are like me and far to often neglect to think of relationships from the perspective of eternity. Right after Mom joined the Lord, He impressed upon me quite powerfully that a broken relationship in her life was being restored. She had suffered the effects of that broken relationship her entire life...

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obrtain it. And every one who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subejection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Warm Christian greetings to you today. My heart rejoices in the goodness of the Lord. He is great and greatly to be praised. As Jennifer and I were watching the Opening Ceremonies of the XXXth Olympiad Summer Games in London, she commented, “I wonder if this is the first time that every nation in the world is being represented at the Olympic Games?” The answer is a little complex, but simply put, the answer is “Yes!” Then, as we watched the Parade of Nations ...