The Applegate Family Blog

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For a printable version of our newsletter, please click here: January - February 2008

Dear Partners in Ministry,

For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11

Adjusting-to-Life Update: We are praising the Lord for Cliff and Ashley Bruck being here to help us in the ministry and specifically in the Christian School. This year is going to be very interesting for them as they adjust to a new marriage (December 1, 2007), new culture, and new environment. Ashley and Cliff are from Missouri. (More information will be given about them in our School/Orphanage newsletter.)

Our clothes dryer “decided” to be ornery and developed a mechanical dysfunctional disorder (MDD). We are still trying therapy, but for now an alternative source for drying—called a clothesline—is in use. For those of you young ones who have no idea, a clothesline is effective, but time and weather are factors of how effective. It is good for God to remind us how good He has been to America.

Cultural Update: It is interesting how much the local people are offended by open affection. Kristy and I are careful about kissing in public or putting my arm around her in church. Most of the people associate open affection with prostitution. On Valentine’s Day, Keith and Sally Stensaas had a party for our married couples. Some terrific pictures were taken, and one of them was of JJ planting a great kiss on his wife Harriet’s cheek. It was a cute, cuddly Valentine’s picture. When Keith went to put up this picture on our bulletin board in church, our leaders warned him of offending the church people. John, our deacon, told us over 75% of the people in our church would be offended by the picture. So we didn’t display it.

Ministry Update: School/Orphanage – The orphans arrived February 4, and school started February 11, but there is so much information to give on the beginning of our school/orphanage that we are going to start another newsletter just for this ministry. Kristy and I, as well as the workers, are very tired, but God has given us a tremendous start to Grace Christian School and Grace Orphanage. Twenty-Nine orphans were all smiles while receiving their new clothes and eating the good food.

Bible College – The first term for 2008 is 3 weeks under way. The students are taking English, the
book of John, and Christian Leadership. Praise the Lord for the 9 men and women who are willing to sacrifice time and money to further their knowledge of Scripture and Christian service!

Street Children’s Ministry – From the 50 boys coming to Friday lunch and Bible study, we have had 8 boys volunteer to come to the property every weekday to do some work in appreciation for the lunch they are getting every week. These 8 boys are faithful to church on Sunday and Wednesday, and we are hoping that God will provide a way for them to reconcile with their families and get back into school.

Children’s Church Ministry – To see the Kids for Truth members perform songs and memory verses at the end of last year brought excitement to our church members and to the K4T workers. This year we have started the program again, and the number attending has grown significantly with the arrival of the orphans.

The children are excited about their two teams (Elephants and Lions).

In His Service,

Tony & Kristy Applegate, Eliana, Elijah, Elexis

tony@theapplegates.net / kris@theapplegates.net

phone-011-256-782-903-147 (Tony)/ 011-256-782-903-137 (Kristy)

website: www.theapplegates.net

Praises: Safe arrival of all 29 orphans; great beginning to Grace Christian School; spiritual growth among the street children

Prayer Requests: Salvation of orphans; wisdom in use of time; immigration paperwork for Cliff and Ashley; continued ministry with the street children

Click here to download the December - Christmas 2007 newsletter.

Welcome to the Applegate Family Blog. We will be posting more updates soon.