December 31, 2004

Dear Friends,

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from Anita and me! Hope everyone had a great time with family and friends. We heard heaving snows blanketed Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio, while we were having beautiful weather (in the 70's) here in the Andes Mountains of Peru! It doesn't cost that much to come visit us!!

All of the mission works are doing well spiritually and even numerically. However, the wind blew the roof off of the house at our mission point in Andabamba. We are at present putting a new roof back on. We do get strong winds every afternoon here in the Huanuco valley.

Central Baptist Church here in Huanuco is getting geared up for a lot of changes this coming year. We have grown to the point that we need to restructure most of our ministries. Pray that we will hear the Lord's guiding voice each step of the way. The church is getting excited about conducting our annual youth camp in February. It is a big event each year. About half the money for the tents have come in and we know the Lord will provide for the rest.

Anita and I have four groups coming to visit this year beginning in April and the last one in July. I hope to be able to get two Institute classes in between September and December. So the year is full. Pray for God's grace, wisdom, and strength. HIS will be done in all things.

Sad news: The Assistant Pastor, Manuel Avila, (30 years old), of Zion Baptist Church here in Huanuco was brutally murdered two weeks ago. He was a young, single, dedicated man of God. He drove a taxi during the day to make a living. He picked up several men as taxi fares and that was the last he was seen alive. They found his body late the next day in a ravine where he had been thrown over the cliff after having been stabbed nine times in the chest with a screwdriver. They asked me to preach his funeral and I must admit it was the largest crowd I have ever seen at a Peruvian funeral. Manuel had a tremendous testimony for Jesus Christ. The funeral procession lasted two hours as hundreds of Christian friends and family carried his body from the church to the cemetery. The crowd sang hymns as the procession moved through the streets. It was a very moving experience. Please remember Manuel's family, friends, and the Zion Baptist Church were he served the Lord. He will be remembered and missed by all.

Until next month,

Serving Jesus in Peru,

Sheridan and Anita Stanton

Pastor Carlos Gonzales of the 5th Baptist Church in Huanuco baptizing high in the Andes Mountains of Peru.