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Dear friends and family,

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year from the Hills in Honduras. We didn't give general notice but we enjoyed a real vacation (for the most part) as we were home for Thanksgiving. We thank our families for keeping our trip quiet. We enjoyed very pleasant weather for our time home. Toby has really been on a rigorous schedule this year with the return for Amy's surgery, the accident that injured my feet and the normal work load, especially with Juan here now too.

We are grateful to have Juan Gutierrez with us for many reasons, but we were able to be at home knowing that Juan would watch over the ministry, house and dogs.  The night before we left we had fifteen guys for a homemade pizza party (Amy made the pizza) and the guys really had a great time. Lita, my coworker at the clinic also helps with house cleaning so we were  able to walk away from the mess early the next morning. We were working literally to the last minute and then were able to jump right back in when we came back. 

Toby was able to crash at his parents cabin on a small lake near Spencer, Indiana. It is his place to relax and regroup. The time home was a real refresher. Amy was able to travel with her parents to brother David's house in Joplin, MO for a Thanksgiving Day celebration with a few days thrown in with all the family but Toby.

We have seen 7 decisions for Christ in the last few months. Toby was teaching the plan of salvation to his Sunday School class of older children. Then one of the Hondurans was able to lead to the actual decisions. Emilio's (One of the Penitas ministers) son and nephew were among these. In the new church at San Antonio Peru two teens accepted Christ. Another joy was that a couple in our church have decided to be married after living some years in common law. We help with the paper work and costs for that. Toby has been preaching and teaching on how living by God's standards frees us. Four couples have been legally married in our years here.

Toby has been discipling five guys every Wednesday for the last two years and it is so exciting to see the men grow. Two of these are among those now legally married, baptized and moving to leadership in the church. The men of the discipleship group are now able to read and apply Bible teachings to their own lives and teach the truth to others, without a lot of help. Marriages are tighter and the men are really fathering their children. They are also serving the Lord with boldness and witnessing to the church and community. We were talking with Juan recently and sharing how much Emilio and Santos have grown. They are more responsible in their preaching duties and in their decisions and actions. It's good to see them teaching others what they are learning. Wednesdays Toby starts discipleship with Santos at 3pm, Emilio at 4 and the other guys at 6:30.  Toby preaches Tuesday evenings at Penitas and Thursday at the San Antonio church. Then on Sunday afternoon and evening he is at La Union. He also keeps busy throughout the week overseeing activities and planning with the guys.

Martin Diaz, Yami's husband, is on hand to help us more and more. This shy guy is coming alive to ministry. He loves to assist Toby, and Toby is relying on him to take care of the truck and conduct business in San Pedro. While were gone Martin purchased the tubing for the new water supply for La Union. A number of projects were left to him as well as the money to pay for them. Toby tests each of the men working with him as to the level of trust he can have in them. They are exceeding our expectations. Martin has a vision to be a leader, preacher and eventually a pastor of one of the new mountain churches. Even though he is young he is highly respected in the La Union area and the seventeen near villages. Martin is leading people to Christ. We would like to have additional funds to support Martin at $150 per month. Also we would like to raise the funds for the second vehicle so that Toby, Martin and Juan and go on to evangelize villages up to six hours beyond La Union.  Martin will likely be attending the Bible Institute in September 2002 when it reopens after a necessary relocation and rebuilding.

Exciting news came mid-month. Children's Hospital in Cincinnati has agreed to provide surgery for Jose Daniel on a charity basis. A tentative February date is anticipated. He is a 16 month old boy with his penis inside his body, testicles where the intestines should be and the intestines where the testicles should be, with a bladder on the outside of his body. It will likely take four surgeons to do the work. My dad called to share the news and we both were in tears (of joy). We discovered this condition at an April 2001 medical brigade when dad was here and have been working on getting him to the states since. We praise the Lord for such a wonderful blessing. I will need to escort and attend Jose Daniel since his parents can't travel to the U.S. I will have power of attorney and necessary paper work with the assistance of the Chief of Pediatric Surgery (and very good friend of Merendon Mountain Mission) at Cemesa Hospital in San Pedro to cover all the legal challenges. He says he can clear it all quickly. Pray that all goes well with this.

Toby and Amy