What an adventure I have been on since the last letter! The recital, for which we prepare all semester, was held on December 8. The students did quite well. Classes ended December 11. We enjoyed shortened office hours December 14-18 but were plenty busy with wrapping up the semester, working on more accreditation assignments, and attending our annual staff Christmas party.

December 19 I flew to Dallas, TX to be with my sister and her family for a week.

December 27 I left behind a tornado that killed 11 people a few miles from my sister’s, and touched down into what was possibly the worst flooding in the history of Saint Louis. The IBC student and myself didn’t see the evidence of if from where we were attending the world’s largest mission’s conference but our phones kept warning us of impending disaster. God was with us.

For five days we attended Urbana15, along with approximately 16,000 other (mostly) college-aged students. True to form, Urbana kept us busy from 8:45 a.m. till about midnight each day. I soaked in the seminars, reveled in the international flavor of the music and attendees, and absorbed the plenary sessions with gratitude. It was exhaustingly exhilarating. And I learned and grew. It was great to spend time with the IBC student, to share and pray together as we wrapped up each day, and to enjoy each other’s company as we ate together, rode the Metro together, and shared a hotel room.

January 1 I flew back to Flagstaff, extremely thankful to have enjoyed good flights, no physical problems in travel, and ready for some rest. But, no, it’s time for spring semester! We start two block courses tomorrow, though I am not teaching till the 18. Later this week I hope to attend an Associate of North American Missions conference in Phoenix for a couple of days.

Thank you so much for your prayers and the many Christmas gifts God blessed me with through you. I’ve had a lot of extra expenses lately and your extra personal gifts were definitely God’s provision.

Blessings to you in 2016. Enjoy a few photos of my niece and nephews!

Gratefully,

Martha