Merry Christmas!

TOP ANDERSON NEWS

It's happening: we are taking steps to serve full-time with SonSet Solutions! John put in his notice at his Illinois job; his last day is Dec. 31, 2017.

Our deepest thanks and gratitude to you as you’ve prayed and supported us. What does this mean? 

We’re reworking budgets and a seven-year old support schedule, and meeting with a partnership development coach. This includes looking at medical healthcare options through a lens of pre-existing conditions.

We’ll provide you with more details soon. For now, it means a lot to figure out in a short time. This is a big step of faith—so we’d sure appreciate your prayers for us!

OUR LIFE IN NUMBERS IN 2017

Years of marriage for John and Jean……………………….31

Years since their first date………………...…………...…....36

Number of grandchildren………………………..…………...2

Years of marriage for Peter and Elizabeth……..……..….....6

Number of Bible lessons John and Jean have taught….. 103

Species of animals JR works with at Potawatomi…….… 103

Countries SonSet has ministered to in 2017 (so far)…..….69

Years since David’s surgery…………………………...….….10

Partners SonSet has worked with in 2017 (so far)…........149

Kids we sponsor with Kids Alive…………...……………..….3

How many years old Anina’s car, Lucy, was…………..…..20

Months that John’s folks have lived in Elkhart………...…..11

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Much accomplished in Haiti

Thank you for all the prayers for our recent Haiti trip.  Everything went very smoothly despite flight times that required us to stay up the whole night before travel and arriving home around 4 a.m.

We are grateful that our luggage and donations all arrived with mishap as there were short times in between flights.

There were 16 team members and 3 projects:

• Construction:  prep and pouring concrete for basketball court and work on the new school on the adjoining site.
• Computer lab: repair hardware, update software, training for teachers at Kids Alive, and repair and updating many other computers that are on-site.
• Health clinic: check up for students who live in the KA Village, students who live in the community that attend the school;  checks for KA school staff, and a clinic day for the community surrounding the KA site.

Those things were accomplished and there was plenty of time to play and visit with the children! Chances to share bible verse to children and adults were precious times.

Also, the high-school students who came with us would go back again!  This is noteworthy as a trip to Haiti is unlike other trips you hear about.  There is not much "to do" in Haiti and there is little sightseeing or touristy things. You do not have reliable electricity, and do not have air conditioning. The community in Balan, where the Kids Alive village is located, shows the poverty there.

The first Kids Alive kids are old enough to be preparing for college or trade school and currently have 12 students in the transitional/independence homes in the village.  Many want to study computer science in college and others are doing well in trade school working with electricians and construction people.  Please pray for this first group of kids, who will head out on their own soon.

Check-up of a preschooler

Working on the basketball court

Word instruction for teachers at school

Return to Haiti—Kids Alive

McCoy Memorial Baptist Church is the church we call home here in Elkhart.  McCoy has a team going to Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, during the week of April 1—8, 2017.  The team’s  main focus will be to expand on the building of the school on the Kids Alive property.  This school serves the Kids Alive children as well as children who live in the community.

John and Jean are returning with this team. John will do fixes, upgrades, and training on the computer lab we set up last year. Jean will expand the nursing clinic even more into the local community, and as time allows, whatever else the Kids Alive Children’s Home needs.

We are very excited  to return to serve here.  A  continued growing relationship with Kids Alive and SonSet Solutions has been very fruitful. As you are already on our prayer and financial support team, we ask you to pray for our Haiti team. The team includes some of our McCoy RUSH students, with whom John and Jean both have worked with. 

We ask that you pray, in particular, for these youth that have a desire to serve the Lord in this way.  A work trip to Haiti is not like other trips you hear about.  There is no sightseeing and no frills. It will stretch these youth (and adults) on the team.  Lord willing, these youth will see how technology, health care, and construction can be used in missions first hand.

We’ve served six years now in this blessed privilege of spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth with you and our faithful co-workers at SonSet Solutions. We are truly thankful for your love and support, and pray you had a blessed Christmas and New Year!