How contagious is your gratitude?

GK Chesterton said: "I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."
Watch the little boy in the following UPS commercial. His happiness doubled by wonder is contagious. Is yours toward our Savior this season just as contagious?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mQqOZkcA2Y

Bruce Brief - Happy Thanksgving

We hope you enjoyed a 
Happy Thanksgiving! 

We do have much to be thankful for:
•    Unpacked suitcases, and being able to settle into our cozy rental house for the winter!
•    A week with Kenny in October; both Keilah and Kimberly with us for these months
•    The joy of fellowshipping with so many different friends and churches
•    The great privilege of knowing and serving our Lord Jesus
•    Confidence that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it!
•    The joy of seeing God at work in and through the Awa believers as they stand strong these months without us!


We travelled back to New England at the height of Fall, enjoying the beautiful colors of the foliage in Ohio, New York, and the New England states. We don't get to experience the change of seasons in Ecuador, so the beauty of God's creation amazed us anew! 

Then Winter welcomed us by coming a bit early this year! The cold temperatures had all of us scrambling to find long-johns, turtlenecks, mittens, and other warm gear! :-) The day before Thanksgiving the skies dumped about 13 inches of snow, enabling Kimberly and I to try out our (yet non-existent) snowboarding skills on Thanksgiving day. That was fun (and cold!) Kimberly and I are looking forward to taking snowboarding lessons starting in January through a local home-school program. Perhaps by Spring we will be more skillful at it!

Our return to Ecuador is scheduled for March 30th. These remaining winter months are finding us visiting and updating different supporting churches. It's a blessing for us to fellowship with family and friends here at our home church, Grace Evangelical Free Church in Spofford, and Kevin enjoys spending any free days helping his dad out at the welding shop. We've been eating a special diet, working to help our digestive systems continue to heal from our bout with parasites back in July in Ecuador. We are thankful to be doing much better and to feel our energy levels returning.

Again, we want to express our thankfulness for each one of you and your part in our lives!

In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy Bruce

 

<For a printable version click here>

October Update!

Hi to everyone from Oklahoma! Since leaving New England the beginning of September, we've covered many miles...seeing friends and family along the way. We can't say how much fun it's been to be reunited with folks we haven't seen for two, three, or even four years! What a blessing! We have so much to be thankful for, and are awed by the many opportunities the Lord has given us to see folks along the way. Our prayer has been that we would be a blessing wherever we go---but we must say, we feel like we've received so much more than we could ever give! Wow!

Seeing Kenny again, after two years apart, was so much fun. We toured Liberty University with him, met his friends and room-mate Nathan, went to church with him, and enjoyed the beautiful mountains of Virginia. This last week was Kathy's family reunion at a nearby Baptist campground.  Under beautiful blue skies, the campground made a perfect location for the five days with her mom, stepdad John, four sisters, and their families (there were over 30 of us; of the 19 grandkids, 17 made it for at least part of the time!)

In about two weeks we'll be heading back to New Hampshire, and settling down for the fall and winter. We are thankful for the provision of a house to rent in Spofford (the same house we rented last time!) For those who'd like to get in contact with us, our cell phone number is 802-451-0507.

News from Ecuador: I've been able to talk with Milton several times. He tells me that all is going well there as the believers continue to meet each Sunday. Milton's niece Lorena recently had a baby boy, and they'd appreciate your prayers as their first little one died at just 3 mos. old. I know their hearts are a bit anxious with this new baby! The dry season continues, and the new road is now reaching the river crossing in Saint Frances community, a good amount of progress! Rainy season will soon slow the progress, but we are amazed at how far the machinery has gotten.

In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy Bruce

<for a printable version click here>

A family picture!

Our summer itinerary...

Our travel dates (more or less, some of these dates are still a bit tentative) :-)

August                New Hampshire and Maine with Kevin's family

Sept 3 - 5            Liebenzell Mission USA, New Jersey

Sept 5 - 7            Virginia, visiting Kenny at Liberty U

Sept 8 - 10          Travelling from Virginia to Missouri

Sept 11 - 22        Wyandotte, Oklahoma with Kathy's mom

Sept 23 - 28        Kathy's family reunion in Grove, Oklahoma

Sept 29 - 30        Back in Wyandotte, Oklahoma

Oct 1 - 10            Basing out of St. James, Missouri

Oct 11 - 12          Festus, Missouri (Lighthouse Baptist Church)

Oct 13 - 15          Travelling back to New Hampshire (via Ohio & NY)

Oct - Mar 2015    Basing out of Spofford, New Hampshire

Specific dates for the fall:

Nov 7-8               Liebenzell Mission Board meetings, NJ

Nov 9                   Asbury Methodist Church, Allentown, PA

Girls Thank you letters

Hi all, just a quick post here to say we made it back to the USA! :-) We are currently enjoying a vacation in Maine with our girls. Thank you for your prayers. I wanted to put a link here to the girls thank you letters for all of you who prayed or supported them this summer during their time serving at Whispering Winds Bible camp!

In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy

Keilah's letter

Kimberly's letter

July Bruce Brief

There are piles of boxes and crates stacked in our house here in the mountains, as we pack up our belongings and prepare to move to Ibarra for the last two weeks before our flight. Amidst the chaos of packing, reality is finally sinking in—we will soon be there in the USA! A few months ago we wondered if all the details would ever pull together, but we are thankful to have seen God’s hand at work, putting the ‘puzzle pieces’ together. Just to give you an idea: 

 

---Milton and Delia and family have now moved up to take care of the church while we are gone! Several other families wanted to come to be caretakers, and there was the potential for a big disagreement, but the Lord was faithful and finally brought all of the believers to the same conclusion (having Milton here). We are thankful to see a growing excitement in Milton as he seeks to faithfully keep the church going and administrate the church property. He’s already been planting yucca here close by, in preparation for Sunday meals together. ?
---We have prayed for a helper for Milton, to help him out on Sundays, as Paulino, living farther away, can’t be here consistently. Andy Shaub’s language helper, Marco Antonio, has been taking a driving course each weekend for the last six months, but the course ends this month. “I’m planning to come and help Milton while you are gone!” Marco told Andy a few weeks ago. Marco is able to read well in Awa, and he is gifted with a helpful, gentle personality. We are thankful for this provision from the Lord.
---The boxes and crates of our belongings we’ll store in our apartment in Ibarra. The Lord has provided a new missionary couple from Germany to live in our apartment there for about half the time we are gone. They are newlyweds, so don’t need all three bedrooms---one bedroom we’ve turned into a storage unit and it is stacked high not only with our boxes, but the Shaub’s belongings as well!
---Our truck sold in just a day! We hadn’t even had time to put a ‘for sale’ sign in the window, when we got a visit from two Ecuadorian brothers, who decided in just five minutes that they would take it. In the meantime, we’ve not been without wheels, as we are able to drive the Shaub’s truck, since they decided not to sell it.
We are thankful for a God that sees the ‘big picture’ and is able to piece together all those small details in a way that brings Him glory! ? 
Milton and Paulino would greatly appreciate your prayers as they often face criticism and complaints from their own people. For the Awa to stand alone, in the face of opposition, is very difficult; they are a group-oriented culture. Recently the church has been accused of bringing division to the people---which is considered one of the worst evils to the betterment and unity of the Awa communities.
Several factors have come together to help us make the decision to make our return on March 30th next year. That gives us 8 months in the USA, which will very likely fly by…we look forward to worshipping and fellowshipping with many of you, as our hearts are always greatly encouraged by seeing how God is at work in your lives! And we pray that we can also be of encouragement to many. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Heb.10:24-25 ESV

“….For He who promised is faithful!” Heb 10:23

Kevin & Kathy  

<for a printable version click here>