Dear Friends,

Janice and I send you greetings from Jakarta. Over the past couple of months the work here in Jakarta has done well. The churches have grown, the Bible school is rolling along well, and there just haven't been many negatives. Now that makes for a happy missionary! Let me share some of the good things have happened over the past few weeks.

Most of the churches we are working with are growing. The Cipulir, Cileduk, and Cijantung churches have all had folks saved over the past few weeks. Attendance and offerings have grown in these three churches also. The Pelumpang and Cibubur churches have done fine over the past few weeks. Even the Sunter Jaya church has experienced growth. Last week Pastor Hadir's wife gave birth to a baby boy. She had a hard time with the birth, but in the end little Steven was born and seems to be just fine. Janice and I were at the church last Sunday and it was a joyful time.

The Bible school is doing well. Over the past two months there have been 18 baptisms and over 60 professions of faith in the various ministries where the Bible school students are now ministering. Most of our churches here in Jakarta now have at least one student that is actively ministering each week in the various ministries of their church. Obviously, the zeal of the Bible school students has been a big reason for the recent growth in our churches here in Jakarta.

Over these past few weeks we have been able to help one of the young families in the Cijantung church adopt a baby. There are several young families in Pastor Yohanes' church in Cijantung that have not been able to have children and are interested in adopting a child. In the past we have had access to adoptable Indonesian children through an expatriate friend of ours here in Jakarta. Unfortunately, our connection to these children has dried up over the last year. In an amazing turn of events, Janice made connection with another situation where we now have access to several adoptable Indonesian children. This last month, we were able to help the Sudadi family adopt baby Robyn, a good looking little boy. Last night, they were over at our house with the baby. What a thrill to see their joy in having this precious little child. Pray with us as there are several other families in our churches that are interested in adopting these children.

The only really bad news is that two of our fellow Independent Baptist missionaries have experienced medical problems. James and Cathy Hansard, had to return to states as James has an eye problem which required a serious operation. The operation was preformed this week in the Atlanta area, and it will take approximately one year before the doctor will release him to return to Indonesia. Also, our close associate here in Jakarta, James Daley, had a motorcycle wreck and has been laid up with a broken leg. We would appreciate your prayers for James Hansard and James Daley as they recuperate.

On the personal front, Janice and I continue to chug along. We are making plans for a short furlough next year. Lord willing we plan to be in the Mid-Atlantic area during January and February of 2004. We will then spend the next two months in California.

We do appreciate your faithful prayers for the work here in Jakarta.

In Christ,