Please read below for our latest e-mail newsletter!

4 DAY VACATION IN BRAZIL

In November, we were delighted at the opportunity for a brief vacation in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil organized and funded through the Christian Hospitality Network and very generous donors. The children took swimming lessons and had a blast in the game room. One of the highlights was a trip to the Iguazu Falls between Brazil and Argentina. We returned home rested and ready to tackle the year-end responsibilities.

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES

Mike was invited to speak on “Animism in the Paraguayan culture” as training for a large group involved in evangelism and church planting in rural Paraguay.

Attendance for the monthly Acercate meetings has been encouraging.

Another invitation that Mike received in November was to teach a course on Narrative and Chronological Bible Teaching in a Bible Institute 2 hours from home. The students were 3 Ache, 2 Ava Guarani, and 1 Paraguayan.

KIDZ KORNER

Lea graduated from Kindergarten. She is also pictured in the above header with her best friends from school. Michael graduated from first grade. Next year, Trisha will be homeschooling the children.

Kaleb will often dress up as either Batman or Superman, drawing the smiles where ever he goes.

Michael Dean learned to play checkers from some Paraguayan Bible students and now just can’t get enough chess! He’s been teaching Lea and Kaleb how to play too. When no one is around, he’ll challenge himself to a game and always win!

THANKFUL HEARTS

Each year, a Paraguayan women’s association that cares for missionaries organizes a Christmas party and gives each missionary  a care package.

In December of each year, our mission board organizes an annual missions conference for 5 days.  We were blessed by a church group from Wisconsin.

LOOKING FORWARD to 2010

- Youth Missions Conference in Argentina

- Linda (Trisha’s mother) will be visiting us for a couple of weeks in January.

- Trisha will take an in-depth Spanish course starting in February.

- Mike will take part in a mobilization conference in Columbia.

- Home Assignment (Lord-willing, late August to early January 2011).

A Merry Christmas from Paraguay!

Mike & Trisha Goddard

"How sick are we?" I wonder to myself, almost afraid to entertain the thought that we might have come in contact with the H1N1 virus.

Our oldest son, Michael, started with a fever right after church on Sunday. Later that week, Kaleb and Lea became ill. Worse yet, Trisha began showing the symptoms of a really nasty flu. I didn’t get the flu as badly, but was miserable for quite some time.

Meanwhile, on the local news the H1N1 virus threats were escalating and were beginning to claim lives. Our children’s school extended their winter vacation from 2 weeks to 3. We canceled trips that we had planned, speaking engagements postponed, and hibernated in our home. It was a prime opportunity for me to make some updates to our Mission Board’s Spanish website.

We are still coughing, but are over the worst of the flu. Did we have H1N1? Perhaps we will never know, but thanks to so many people who stand behind us daily in prayer, we are back in business and the children will be starting up school once again on Monday.