Edgebrook Covenant Church - Dear Edgebrook Covenant Church,
We just received notice of your Christmas gift to us!  Did you know that we have known your church family since our year at NPTS in 1986-87?  We have journeyed long together and you folks have been such faithful ones in our lives.  We thank God for you!

The weather is getting very warm here.  It’s funny how the elements have a way of bringing out the best and worst in us.  It reminds me of the verse that says, “Out of the heart, the mouth speaks.”  We can blame the heat for our short tempers or our whining voices, but even in our tiredness, God can be Lord.

We are excited to see how God is unfolding His plans to our team at the Abundant Life Center.  We keep working on our communication skills, knowing that the Asian way of not facing conflicts ends up lethal to all of us in the end.  Please pray that we would DARE to love each other enough to want to work through issues.

Our sewing department is busily making up patterns for new purse styles and in April a friend is coming to help us choose fabrics for them.  We are hoping that by Triennial we will have a new line of purses to show.

Bethany has just finished intramural soccer at the elementary school she attends.  (Carl is so please to have one of his kids follow in his love of the sport.)  We pulled out old family videos this past weekend and wondered at how fast time had gone by.  We mourned their departure from our home to the other side of the world.  Having Naomi come home this Christmas was such a treat.  Your gift was truly a blessing to help us with the expenses that come with having her back with us.
Much love,
The Groots all!

Carl and Karen Groot serve in Bangkok, Thailand as missionaries of the Evangelical Covenant Church.  The Abundant Life Center (ALC) is part of the Thailand covenant Church and reaches out to Issaan people who have migrated from the rural northeast to the city in search of work and a better life.  ALC Crafts is the business enablement arm of ALC, serving women and their families in Bangkok.)