Just a quick update…
 

While Matt Was Gone

Thank you to all of those who prayed for our family while Matt was traveling in the States for a couple weeks. Annabelle and I certainly missed him but he had a great trip. A special thank you to all who housed, fed, and helped him with any needs he had as he traveled. 

He was able to meet with his students for the class he is teaching at Johnson University for two days of class, sit together with three students who have applied to intern with us this summer, speak at three churches, share meals with friends and family, attend the bi- annual Team Leader training held by our organization, and attend ICOM in Lexington, KY where he saw the young couple, Brent & Mary Marion, who are currently fundraising to join us in Madaba soon!
Photo Credit: Shannon Warden (Farragut Christian Church)
She quoted Matt saying:
“When I talk to Syrians about why they want to go to America, they never say, “Because we can get free stuff.” They say, “Because there is opportunity to work and start a business and earn a living.”
Winter is upon us here in Jordan as temperatures have dropped and the wind has started gusting. We are thankful for our new house (as it is not on the fourth floor) but it is still a challenge to keep warm.

Pray for our family as we enter this season. We have all been sick with on-going colds and sinus congestion. Susan is currently trying to recover from a throat infection that has her home from school for a couple days. 
School for Susan and Annabelle is going well. They only have a couple more weeks before the winter break so things are very busy for them right now. We are so thankful that Annabelle loves going to school and Susan is seeing many opportunities for ministry helping in the Kindergarten.

Annabelle asked to have some of her classmates and friends over to her house so we planned a special Christmas party for her and her friends! We love Annabelle’s heart to “share” life with others. While she is at the age where sharing her ‘things’ is a hard concept, she loves ‘being with’ her friends. After the party I asked her what her favorite thing about the party was. She thought for a minute and said with a very serious tone “all my friends at my house” and then she said making the ornaments with them was fun.

Matt is continuing his daily visits with refugee families. The after-school program is growing by a few children every week. Lately, he has been having some intense conversations about the Gospel with one man in particular. Please pray for these conversations and a heart to respond.

A Note from the President:

The workers in our organization are, for the most part, a humble bunch. They don’t want to be put on pedestals. They’re thrilled to be helping people, spreading the Good News of a baby that changes everything.
Many live near-normal lives in cities — in high-rise apartments, while others, granted, live in extremely rustic settings. Either way, there’s one time of year that my heart goes out to them. At Christmas, when they face the fact that they are thousands of miles from home, life can, well, stink. They love serving. They hate being away from their loved ones.
This Christmas, would you remember and pray for your favorite Team Expansion worker… and would you ask God to give them a solid Skype call home on Christmas day??? Thanks for your partnership in the Good News of Jesus Christ, and thanks for making our work possible.

Doug Lucas, President
 
Copyright © 2016 Matt and Susan, All rights reserved.