Dear Friends at St Peter and St Paul

We send greetings from Israel and wish you a very Happy New Year. As we write, we are still celebrating Christmas as there are three celebrations here. The 25th December is celebrated by the Protestant Church, the 6th January is celebrated by the Greek Orthodox Church, and the 19th January is celebrated by the Armenian Church. The decorations will stay up in Jaffa until after the 19th, and it is a joyful time to see different groups continuing to celebrate the birth of Jesus, albeit with the celebrations at a more muted level due to the current situation. Kevin has been able to join with other Christian leaders over the Christmas period to share greetings and prayers for peace, and also to explain why we celebrate Christmas with many Israelis who have come to see the celebrations.

We were able to celebrate Christmas peacefully and safely, so thank you for your prayers. We had several rocket alerts leading up to Christmas so we wondered if people would be happy to come to services or, if indeed, they would be permitted to go ahead. We thank the Lord for his protection, as our nine lessons, Midnight Mass, and Christmas Day services were not interrupted. We had many visitors at each service where it was a huge privilege for Kevin to preach the good news of the message of the incarnate Christ, Immanuel - God with us, to those not of the Christian faith and people searching. Many people stayed behind after services for coffee and to ask questions.

As you know our congregation is made up of single people, locals, students, Diplomats, and ex-pats, so for Christmas Lunch we all went to a local restaurant owned by a local Christian family that we know well. The restaurant is well known for its generous portion sizes and hospitality, so we were happy to support their business in a difficult financial time here due to the absence of tourists, and to offer fellowship to those who would otherwise have been alone and by themselves on Christmas Day.

In the autumn, we were delighted that Kevin was approached by two locals who had come to faith in Christ and were asking for baptism. After weeks of baptism preparation, and some deep theological discussions, it was a joy for Kevin to baptise them just before Christmas. There may be some other baptisms in the near future. We have had some new people join our congregation and we will sadly say goodbye to our original member in the summer, as his studies are coming to an end. He has been a faithful member, journeying and praying with us from the very first weekend we arrived in Jerusalem in 2021, and was our first and only member of the congregation when we started out. We pray the Lord will guide him in the next chapter of his life, taking the lessons he has learned from his journey of faith while in Israel with him.

We were able to have two days in Galilee last week where we were blessed with sunshine and the chance to walk, rest and pray. Our dog Trixie managed to swim despite her advanced years; in fact it was difficult to get her out of the water! In the meantime, we continue to prepare for the move to America although there have been delays with our visa petition. We pray that the Lord opens doors and makes the way clear according to his will. So, until we know more about timescales it is business as usual, with the everyday ministry of serving the Lord in our community continuing.

As we look back on the ministry here over the last four years, we want to say a special thank you for your prayers and financial support. As you have partnered with us, we know that you have always responded to prayer requests that we have sent out, and given thanks with us when we have seen the Lord at work and received his blessings. We have been touched by your personal emails and messages that have encouraged us and strengthened us in times of worry, fear, and uncertainty. We know that without prayer we could not minister here, and we are grateful for the love and commitment you have shown to us as mission partners. We continue to pray for you all regularly, and as you move to support other mission workers serving the Lord, we would love to hear your news at any time. If you would like to hear news of life in Wisconsin and how the Lord is using us there, please feel free to get in touch by email [email protected]

With our love and thankful hearts

Fr Kevin and Jen