Newell News

Christmas 2007 Edition

Merry Christmas! The Newells want to thank you for your prayers and support during 2007. We have had another memorable year of ministry and personal growth. Let us start by telling about our personal news.



Our kids have really grown up physically and spiritually. Gabriela turned 5 years old on January 2 and has continued to become a young lady. She loves horses, dolls, music and helping her mom in the kitchen.



Nate is 8 years old. He is our active kid who loves to be outdoors. He played basketball and baseball this year. He was one of the smallest players, but no one hustled more than him. He enjoys playing touch football in the yard with his brother too. His favorite non-contact sport is fishing. When he is not doing something in sports Nate really enjoys cutting off. He is a funny kid and makes his siblings and parents laugh all the time.



Lucas turned 10 years old this year. He really enjoys reading, building Lego creations, and drawing. He is a very good artist with a penchant for drawing Pokemon cartoons. Lucas really likes to travel too. He loved his first ever camp experience to Kids Across America with our African American Church group.



Leonora has had a whirlwind year because of all the fun and challenge of running the household. As you know, she homeschools all of our kids and has to do a lot of planning and preparation. She has put in a great amount of time at the Helena Community Center working tirelessly in our after-school program. Additionally, she has really enjoyed attending a lady’s Bible study each week.



Ben turned 52 years old this year. He celebrated by playing 52 holes of golf in one day. This has become a tradition for him and he really enjoys the challenge and fun of playing the same number of golf holes in one day as he is old. He hopes to be able to do that until he reaches 72. Also, Ben has had a very good health year. Matter of fact, the whole family has reaped the benefit of a family diet that has all of us eating healthily.



The family had a whirlwind year! Through speaking engagements, CBF meetings and a dream vacation visiting grandparents, we had opportunities to visit SC., NC, VA, Philadelphia, PA (where Leonora’s sister, Tina, lives), Washington, DC, MD and TX.



MINISTRY



We have been blessed to host close to 50 church mission teams. That represents more than 500 people who have given their love and talents to our community in some mission capacity. Many of them came to work on construction projects that have been going on for almost 2 years now. The Community swimming pool house was finished this past summer. Now we are working to finish the New Hope BC new church building. In addition to construction projects, we have been busy with the following community and economic development projects.



Swim Camp- 150 kids, adults, and toddlers learned to swim and be safe in the water. We offered VBS activities with the swim camp.



ACC 2007- 225 kids were treated to our 5th annual camp. They campers enjoyed Bible stories, games, music, and sports (golf, soccer, tennis, and baseball).



Family Missions Immersion Weekend - first ever mission event where families came together for a 2-day weekend in Helena. They family members served together on a mission project on Saturday, socialized on Saturday night, and worshipped together on Sunday morning.



Together for Hope and FCA Basketball Camp and Tournament- over 50 teenagers experienced our 3 annual sports camp for basketball enthusiasts. The kids participated in Bible studies, community service projects, basketball skill drills, and games for a week in June.



Stories on Wheels Literacy Projects- We have ongoing cataloging, play space and literacy efforts for children in the Helena Community Center SOW facility. Our Stories on Wheels bus went to places in our county and offering books, toys, games, and fun to underprivileged kids and their families using Community Center volunteer teens in training.



Pastors Retreat- hosted the first annual retreat for pastors and their spouses. This time was arranged to give the pastors in our local area an opportunity to refresh and get to know each other with the purpose of building bridges. We had a wonderful first retreat with 19 people participating.



Open Hand Enterprises- initiated Together for Hope’s Economic Development program with a meeting in Helena, AR in March 07. Over 45 Christian entrepreneurs discussed ways to empower entrepreneurs to own their businesses, create new sustainable employment, and run their businesses in Biblical ways. This network of people is working to start or help sustain 100 businesses in the 20 poorest counties in the next 10 years.



Delta Christmas Celebration- we held our 4 annual Christmas event where 200 kids received coats, hats, and gloves as well as a special Christmas gift, ornament, card, and meal. The community had a great time expressing God’s love for the neglected in a loving and caring way while not undermining the people’s dignity. Over 150 local volunteers were present and 22 outside volunteers! This was an answer to prayer! We finally had more than 50 % local volunteers involved, and it was a great cross section of our community! God continues to build bridges.

Your participation in, contribution to, and prayers for these ministries have enabled us to continue to minister here in our two poorest counties. Without your support we could not stay on the field and be a resource to our community and encourage new dreams. We ask you to continue to give to our ministry, to CBF, and to our community. You can do that through CBF’s Global Missions Offering: https://www.thefellowship.info/Give/Donate. One hundred percent of the offering goes toward paying the salary, operational and project expenses for all of our missionaries.

Celebrate Christmas because Christ came, lived, died, and rose so that we can have an everlasting relationship with Him! Please join us in our celebration of Christ throughout the year, praying, giving and participating in our ministry. We thank you for your faithful support! We love you, Ben, Leonora and Kids PS. Picture was taken in the Swiss Alps J Where we visited with Leo’s Parents. Isaiah 43:18