Dear Family and Friends,                                                            

We hope that each of you have enjoyed a very merry Christmas and will also enjoy a happy new year.  We have enjoyed remembering the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We had a good Christmas together with family, although we did miss our families back in the states. 

We will be traveling soon for a 2 week trip to Johannesburg, South Africa where we will attend a homeschool conference and take some holiday time.  The whole family will be involved in the conference.  Samuel will be studying Ancient Egypt with kids in grades 1-3.  Lydia will study dinosaurs with 3-5 year olds.  Gary and Michelle will be learning together with other homeschooling missionary parents.  We thank the Lord for this opportunity.  Please pray for safe travels and a blessed trip.

Michelle will be meeting with the Mzimba women's associational officers on January 17 to plan for the 2009 ministry year.  Please pray for us to have a united heart in knowing the Lord's will in ministering to the women of the association this year. 

As we have returned to Mzimba we have had a chance to really look at how the work is going and how things are progressing among the Tumbuka people.  We feel we are in a unique setting.  It is mostly village area.  There are few, if any, jobs besides subsistence farming.  Many men with more initiative travel to other places like South Africa to look for employment.  Some of the preaching points/churches have been existence for years and are stagnant with weak leadership.  Several leaders have been trained only to move away to South Africa or other locations.  We have also observed that many believers have hard hearts.  They are willing to give God control of part of their lives but not other parts.  There is so much jealousy, lack of unity, apathy, hopelessness and a feeling that things will never change.  Please pray for the Tumbuka people, especially in the Mzimba district.  Please pray that the Lord will soften their hearts of stone and give them hearts of flesh.  Please pray that people would repent and allow Jesus to be Lord of all their life.  Pray that revival will come to this place and people will truly understand who Jesus is - the risen Savior, King, and Lord.  Pray that lives will be changed by the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives as they surrender their lives to Him.  Please pray for us to have wisdom, guidance, and strength as we minister here.

We work closely with national leaders throughout the Northern region.  We have a meeting planned for January 21 to discuss upcoming activities and some important issues.  Please pray for Gary and our national brothers that we would have vision from God about the direction of different ministries in the coming years.  Pray that we may have one heart and one mind as we work together to reach the Tumbuka people with the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ.  Pray also for the region as it prepares to host the annual general meeting for the Baptist Convention of Malawi in August of 2009. 

As we mentioned last month, we will have some new team members joining our team in April.  Please pray for the Rudds as they start their training at ILC (International Learning Center) in January.  One huge prayer request is that we find housing for them in Mzimba.  Please pray that the Lord will guide and lead us to just the right place.  Pray also for help in finding workers to help them when they arrive in April.

We thank each of you for your prayers for us and for the Tumbuka people.  We pray the Lord will bless each of you and encourage you in your walk with Him.

Love in Christ,
Gary, Michelle, Samuel and Lydia Robertson