Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

With thanksgiving and joy and awe we prepare for the holiday season. We take another opportunity to say thank you to all of you for your faithful prayers and your dedicated support that enables us to serve our Lord in Guatemala and here in this training program.

Now that we are spending the school year in Minnesota we have seen first-hand such examples of giving. There's the rummage sale for charity, the bake sales for mission support, the Oktoberfest food sale for outreach, the pancake breakfasts, the nursing home visits, the teaching and leading, serving homeless shelters – all in the name of Christ and His Cause. Thank God for each and every hand at work and prayer lifted on behalf of those in need. May He stir us all to make it our mission to reach others with a dynamic and active way.

How we are looking forward to spending Christmas in the USA this year – caroling, lights, Advent services, choirs and concerts, bellringers, a real white Christmas, and semester break! But, then again, our months will be watering for those spicy Guatemalan tamales and our ears will be tuned for the release of midnight firecrackers and our eyes will be watching the streets for a colorful procession of Nativity characters. Guess we have a foot in both lands.

The New Kid at School
Paul is currently taking five courses at the Oswald Hoffman School of Christian Outreach at Concordia University St. Paul. Principles of Christian Outreachis teaching him the "why's" and "how to's" of evangelism and outreach work. Old Testament offers an overview of God's story leading to the birth of Christ. Church and Ministry focuses on Lutheran doctrine and ways to apply it in church and life settings. Congregational Outreach examines different methodologies for doing outreach. Practicum allows him to be an observer of doing or not doing outreach in an actual congregation. The classes are tough enough to keep him up to late hours and interesting enough to keep him excited to be there. And he is seeing lots of ways to apply the coursework to our work in Guatemala. This opportunity for training is such a rich blessing.

And it certainly is a new adventure to pack a lunch, take a (city) bus, and walk onto a college campus with the "wrong generation." Our kids think it's pretty neat to ask Dad if he's got his homework done.

Not to Feel Left Out
Tammy, meanwhile, didn't want to miss out on learning opportunities in the Twin Cities, so she picked up some books as well. She joined a class at Concordia, Psychology of Cultural Identitites, to explore how our culture matters to us and to our interactions. Next course will be Teaching English as a Second Language, to prepare her for volunteer opportunities at a city immigrant center. It's also been great to get involved in local church activities, a Christian homeschool support group, a Bible study, and an animal shelter.

Kid's Happenings
The big focus of their homeschooling this year has been to enjoy learning and to enjoy doing it in the Twin Cities. That means visiting museums, zoos, parks, plays, concerts, grand buildings, libraries, farms, sporting events, etc. The kids have been participating in biweekly classes and fied trips with other homeschoolers, a community fencing class, youth group, Bible study, Sunday School, and Scout troops. They are also looking to take some piano lessons and do volunteer work at an animal shelter. Free time is for raking and playing in the leaves, reading good books, watching old movies, playing video games and board games. As much as they enjoy these activities, they really want to go back to Guatemala. They miss family, too, especially being in the USA but not in an area where family lives. We're thankful for those kids that have friendly welcome.

Erin's Surgery
A suspicious lump that Erin discovered in her calf muscle was biopsied on October 8. With a diagnosis of fibromatosis, a rare non-cancerous growing tumor, she underwent a second surgery October 17 to remove the full tumor and t he leg muscle that held it. A couple days in the hospital, a week of being in a cast, and her first week of physical therapy has her limping less, down to one crutch, a healing nine-inch scar, and a little bit spoiled by laying in bed reading or watching movies. We're thankful for being in an area with good medical care. Follow up visits will monitor for re-growth of the tumor.

Latest News from Guatemala
Presidential elections have been hot. The first round on November 9 brought out record crowds and very few incidents of violence and problems. The final selection will be in December.

Our valued co-worker, Jorge, is continuing the video ministry, showing several Christian films with Bible study each week to K'iche' churches and groups. We hold this family in prayer as his 11-year old daughter, Ixcel, is scheduled for heart surgery in January.

Did the literacy group continue their studies? Are the story telling groups practicing new stories. Do the soccer club kids attend church? How are the youth at church studying and sharing the Bible?

We put it all in God's Hands and trust His providence and laeading.

Let Us Pray for One Another
• Praise the Lord for this great time of learning and fellowship for Paul at Concordia. We pray that it will better equip us for our work in the field.
• Praise for the many activities and first-time opportunities for our family. We pray that we use our time and resources to gain the right things from our time here.
• Praise for good doctors and hospitals here. we pray for complete healing of Erin's leg.
• Pray for Guatemala's political leadership.
• Pray for Ixchel and her family as she prepares for heart surgery in January.
• Praise for you, our support team. We pray for a Christ-filled, bursting-with-joy Christmas for all of you!

God has hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ. -Colossians 2:3

On This Journey
• Journey with Paul and Tammy Kinney in service of our Lord through the literacy and Scripture use project to the K’iche’ of Guatemala.