In December, we were able to take a break from meetings and spend some time with my wife’s family in the state of Maine during the Christmas season. Emily and I were blessed to be able to spend that time at our sending church, the Victory Baptist Church of Winthrop, Maine. It was wonderful getting to sit under our pastor’s preaching, serve in the church, and go soul winning with our church family. During the Christmas season, God gave us an unexpected Christmas present. The Lord provided us with a newer and larger vehicle for traveling on deputation. It is amazing how God provides!
Also in December, we found out the gender of our coming baby. We praise the Lord that this May, we will be welcoming a little girl into our family; we will be naming her Emma Kristine Christiansen. According to the ultrasounds, little Emma seems to be growing normally, although she is a little on the small side. Considering that I am 5’3” and Emily is 5’2”, I can’t say that is very surprising.
At the beginning of January, Emily and I headed to the Midwest for three months of meetings. So far in January, we have enjoyed presenting the need in Nigeria to churches in the Southern Indiana and Indianapolis areas. While going soul winning in Madison, Indiana, with a local pastor, we were going up to a house with a squad car parked in the driveway. When we walked onto the porch of the house, a police officer armed and in full uniform burst out the door. He was clearly quite tense and asked us what we were doing at his home. I quickly introduced myself and the pastor and told him we were visiting from the church and giving him a personal invitation. He relaxed a little bit and started talking with us. I thanked him for his service to the community, and this clearly struck a chord with him and led to a more pleasant conversation. Although the officer did not get saved that day, the door was wide open for the pastor to visit him later for a Gospel conversation. Please pray that this door will stay open and that this officer and others will be saved.
Continue praying with us that we will be a blessing to the churches we visit, that our 2020 calendar would fill up with meetings, and that churches would continue to take us on for support. We want to get to Nigeria as soon as we can.
That all the world may know,
Caleb Christiansen