Christmas letter, Review of 2009

Christmas Letter – 2009
Eldon and Ruth Brock
251 Timothy Rd, Sebring, Fl 33870
Eldon26@gmail.com or Laughinglady1@gmail.com

Merry Christmas to our Family and Friends,

Our desire is and has been to serve and honor the Lord with the abilities and energy He has graciously given. At our age we can’t expect much but as the opportunities come we have given our best. We pray that you also have experienced great blessings from serving Our Savior with the gift he has given you.

Ruth and I rejoice in the blessings of our marriage; it really does grow sweeter. We both enjoy good health except Eldon had a knee repair September 1 but we were able to travel for the month of Oct. with limitations. Ruth has continued contact with the Navajo ladies and served as president of the Maranatha Ladies Mission Fellowship. You should taste some of the fruit cakes she makes; they are not the typical.

Our lives tend to be filled with trips and recovery from trips. Eldon has seen God do some special things with Ethnic to Ethnic Ministries and he is trusting for even bigger developments in 2010.

2008 Christmas we rode the train [one of Ruth’s dreams] to Washington, DC where we were able to enjoy a few days with Jack and Carolyn, Don and Eldonna, the two Long grandsons and their families. Being in Florida limits the time we can have with family. April we flew to Erie, PA to speak in an International Dinner and speak in the church on Ethnic Ministries. May Eldon led the 1st Multi-ethnic Ministries Round Table, in Clarks Summit, PA. This was 2 day discussion group of 16 on the why, who and how of a Multi-ethnic Church. June was a trip to the GARBC conference in Elyria, OH where we enjoyed great preaching and made several contacts for the mission.
October was a big trip of a 4-legged air trip for 3 ½ weeks. We went to Toronto to visit a multi-ethnic church and spend a lot of time discussing ministry and the future of E-tem. This also allowed us to visit the church on Six Nations Reserve where Ruth ministered for 5 years. Even though it had been 30 years they had a special celebration with many who knew her. [perhaps the biggest highlight for her].

The second stop was in New Jersey so we could see several of Ruth’s family and to attend Ruth’s 60th H S Reunion [another one of Ruth’s dreams]. Eldon conducted another Round Table with 16 from very diverse backgrounds. The third stop Washington where from Carolyn’s we visited churches. Eldon held a Round Table in Virginia and in Maryland. Again there was great interest from pastors on how to meet the needs of the diverse ethnicity in each of their local areas.

The Kachin believers are a blessing. They are from the churches in Myanmar that Eldon visited and served from 1994 to 2004. In August a pastor came to the States to connect with many Kachin people here but he made a special effort to visit us. Then Dr Naw Mai came for Thanksgiving. He is the first teacher Eldon sponsored for a D Min degree and now he is President of Hanson Baptist Bible College in Myanmar. He brought his daughter to be an exchange student and visit churches and family but he included a trip to Florida to express his gratitude for believing in him. The college, churches and friends sent special greetings to Eldon for helping them with their ministries.

That is a peek at how God led us in 2009. It would be great to hear how God is encouraging you. This is one of the traditions we enjoy, at least it is not a bore to us.

Yours in Christ, Eldon and Ruth
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To PURCHASE People, That's why He came.

"You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." Revelation 5:9. Today It hit me special that Christ "purchased" people from every people group. With His sacrifice to leave heaven, become man, Die and rise to be ready to welcome born again of every ethnos gives meaning to Christmas.