December 31, 2005

Dear Friends,

Anita and I arrived back in Peru on the 9th of December after having gone to the States to mainly see our Granddaughter, Caroline, for the first time. She is a beautiful six month old baby and we had a great time reading storybooks to her. After leaving Arizona, we visited other family members from the West Coast to the East and had a wonderful time. In twenty-three years in Peru we have never had a time to see all of our family during our regular furlough trips, so we took some vacation time.

Within one week of arriving back in Peru I traveled to Flores de Belen, a small village outside of Tingo Maria, in the jungle, to help out in the organizational service of the mission work there into a New Testament Baptist Church. I have helped this work for the past few years with their building and materials. They asked me to preach the organizational message, defining the new church's responsibilities. This church really needs your prayers because it is situated right in the middle of one of the worst cocaine producing areas of Peru. Drug trafficking and terrorism are increasing in alarming numbers once again in this area. The day after I left, nine police officers were murdered just forty minutes away from the church. We have several faithful Pastors and many faithful Christians in the region but they live under a lot of pressure and really need your prayers.

We traveled to the southern Peruvian city of Arequipa to spend Christmas with the twins and their new parents, Jason and Rebecca Reinhardt. Kathy has been walking for several weeks but Carol waited until we came to start her steps. One morning she lost her fear and just started walking across the room; not just a few steps, literally across the room! Surprised us all.

While in Arequipa on December the 25th, we received notice of the passing of our niece, Julia Ann Leffler, at around 10:30 AM on Christmas morning. So many of you have been praying for her for fifteen or more years. Julie had been struggling all her life with Battens disease, a terminal illness with no cure. She lived to be almost twenty-three years of age when the average life expectancy of a Battens child is only eighteen years. She lived as long as she did by the grace of God and the wonderful care of her loving parents, Charlie and Wanda Leffler and her sister Katie. After being blind and in a wheelchair most of her life, the Lord in his mercy called her home to grace His presence. She can now see and is probably dancing with joy before our gracious Lord. Julie touched so many lives and will be missed by all. Please continue to remember the Leffler family in your prayers as they adjust to living with only the memory of Julie. Until next month.

Serving Jesus in Peru,

Sheridan and Anita Stanton