Dear Partners,

        2019 is coming to an end. Christmas is here. Let us remember Jesus Christ was born about 2000 years ago. He came to save us of our sins. May we rejoice and have hope in spite of the turmoil in the world.

        Since Christa and I came back from Kyrgyzstan in Nov 2018 Christa has been having pain in her body especially in her back and legs. She has seen many doctors, physical therapists, massage therapist and chiropractors with no avail. Just in Dec we have finally decided for her to have spine surgery. It is scheduled on Jan 24, 2020 at Stanford hospital. The surgery will take 4-5 hours. She will then stay in hospital for a few days to recover. Depending on her condition she may need to go to rehab center for further recovery. Doctor says it may take her a few months to be back to normal. Please pray for surgery and recovery so she can get back to her health quickly.

        I traveled to Kyrgyzstan twice this year. First was in April for one month to check on our kindergarten in Tokmok. Peter is taking good care of it and it is running smoothly. I have also reconnected with many missionaries from various countries. Kyrgyzstan economy is still quite backward. Previous president was put in jail for corruption. The country need to strengthen education to bring people out of poverty. Second was in Nov. This time I was mainly working with a group of people from Boston, New Jersey and locals to plan to start a new kindergarten in Bishkek. The one-month trip was quite successful. We were able to locate a piece of property in a prime area and purchased it. We also talked to a few designers and contractors on the building of the kindergarten building. The plan is to take one year for construction and start the kindergarten in 2021. We see the opportunity to influence the next generation through education. May God give us the wisdom to use His wisdom and resources for His purpose.

        Our older son Ivan decided to go to School of the Art Institute of Chicago for further study. He will be there for about two years. Ryan is getting into real estate apprenticeship. He will still be staying home with us. However he is currently very busy. I will make sure to be with Christa for at least 6 months to see her through this difficult time of recovery.

        May God be with you all. May you all have a great 2020.

In Him,                        
John and Christa

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