Dear Friends,
Merry Christmas!  I am keeping each of you in my prayers and hope you are celebrating a wonderful holiday season.  Today, I am writing from Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania.  I flew in a few days ago to celebrate my father’s 80th birthday!  We had quite a party.   It was wonderful to see my family.  And I look forward to a very cold Christmas this year!

Just wanted to send you a quick update on recent events at the New Life Center.  As soon as I returned home to northern Thailand from my travels in Africa, I threw my laundry in the basket, and quickly packed again for a trip to the beach.  We took all of the New Life Center staff and residents down to Pattaya, a beach south of Bangkok.  All told, there were 140 people on a 16 hour bus trip each way.  Whew!

We stayed in a Baptist retreat center right on the beach.  It was a lovely location.  And about half of our girls had never seen the ocean!  It did my soul such good to see them giggling, playing in the sand, and splashing in the water.   The speakers this year were from Youth for Christ, and they did a great job, challenging the girls to spiritual growth and maturity.

On the last day of the camp, we held our regular baptismal ceremony.  Over the last year, we have had 30 girls make a first time commitment to Jesus.  Baptizing them in the ocean was a joyful occasion, and a real celebration of all that God is doing in their lives.

So as we move on into the new year, I pray that you will celebrate new life with me. 

New life for 30 young tribal girls who have met our Lord, and recognized the face of love.

And new life for each of us, as we celebrate the incarnation of our Lord Jesus.  Because I am learning, along with our girls, that with Christ, every day is a fresh start.  And every year, a fresh opportunity for Praise!

Love,
Kit




Kit Ripley
American Baptist Int'l Ministries
New Life Center,  Chiang Mai, Thailand

kitripley@pobox.com
http://www.newlifecenterfoundation.org