Well, it’s that time of year again…Christmas is upon us! We wanted to take this opportunity to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We also thought we would take this opportunity to give you an update on our family and our ministry as we continue to prepare for our work in the Philippines.

On December 31^st we will be concluding our ministry at Camp Tulakadik. We have been so blessed for the past five years as we provided leadership for this amazing ministry. We had the privilege of working with some great people who we will miss like crazy. Michael has also been serving as the part-time Interim Pastor at Midland Baptist Church for the past twelve months but this too will soon come to an end as the church expects to have a new senior pastor called to serve in early 2016. Our hope is to begin our full time work with CBM by February, but for this to happen we need to reach our fundraising target in donations or pledges. God has been so faithful to provide for our family in the past and we know that He will continue to provide what is needed as we move forward.

We have begun the process of registering our kids for school at Faith Academy in Manila, Philippines. We had the opportunity to visit Faith Academy in September and we were very impressed. It is a great school and we are sure our kids will love it! The school year begins in early August at Faith Academy. Therefore, we will depart for the field in late June (once the kids finish school here). This will give us a little over a month to complete our cultural orientation and to get settled as a family in Manila before the kids start their school year. Beginning the process of registering our kids for school has made this feel very real!

In our last letter, we briefly mentioned that we will be working in the area of Marketplace Ministry. Many people have asked what Marketplace Ministry involves, so please let us take this opportunity to briefly explain. Marketplace Ministry recognizes that all work matters to God (yours included).   It recognizes that any follower of Jesus can fulfill their desire to serve God through their place of work. Whether you are a doctor, taxi driver, lawyer, construction worker, nurse, plumber, teacher, you get my point…He can use all work to assist in the spreading of the Gospel. We have been appointed by CBM with this in mind; to assist in the formation of a global discipleship strategy within the context of the marketplace to have a lasting Kingdom impact; by working alongside our partners and colleagues.

Earlier this fall, we had the opportunity to visit Manila, Philippines. It was an amazing experience that for us, and it truly affirmed our call to serve in the Philippines.  We also had the privilege of meeting our new colleagues, Duane and Carin Guthrie who we will be working alongside of in Marketplace Ministry.

One example of Marketplace Ministry from our visit to the Philippines earlier this fall comes from a visit we made to the Missional Business Center (MBC).  The work of MBC is focused on helping individuals (by using Biblical principles) develop ideas for business start-ups, write a comprehensive business plan to ensure the idea is sustainable and profitable, prepare a budget and secure start-up capital (if required), and finally assist with the start-up of the new business.  The new business owner then receives mentoring and support for one year to ensure his/her success.  This type of missional work has the potential to have a huge impact in the lives of individuals and families, and bring about lasting change for the entire community. 

Some people have asked us if we will be starting our own business or working in a business when we move to the Philippines. The answer to this questions is “No”.   We, along with our colleagues and partners, will be working alongside people as they seek to provide for their families and make a positive difference in their communities as they become more aware of the connection between their work and God’s work.  Our work will primarily be centered on discipleship as we walk with people in all types of business and circumstances of life.

As we mentioned earlier, we are only able to follow God’s call on our lives with the prayers and financial support of generous people like you. If you are planning to financially support us please let CBM know by simply contacting Barb Keys at bkeys@cbmin.org (or you can give online by clicking here). Even if you are not ready to send in your donation yet, please let CBM know, as this will help us reach the necessary fundraising goals required for further orientation and preparation before departure.  All donations of $10.00 will receive a charitable tax receipt at year end.

Thank you so much for your willingness to join with us as we move closer to our departure date. Your prayers and financial support make it possible for us to follow God’s leading in our lives!

Sincerely,

Michael & Melanie Waddell

Ps. We are trying to reach our fundraising goal by the end of January. We need your support! Will you please partner with us through prayer and financial support?