Genesis 45.6 – “For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.”

Inventory!
Thank you for your continued prayers and support! Please allow me to meditate openly in the area of spiritual inventory. In our verse above Joseph prepares his brethren to take inventory for more difficult times, encouraging them to come under his care. Last year seemed a revealing year. I believe God is preparing Christians for His care in difficult times ahead. I wish to share three helpful challenges: 1) How will you invest in eternity during 2013? Every Christian must consider his eternal investments. 2) What is indecision? People may point at the 2012 U.S. elections to illustrate the price of indecision. The lesson learned may be that indecision was still a decision and it influenced the world’s direction. Decide to take spiritual order this year. Coming generations depend on it. I wonder how many years into God’s future will we place our world when neglecting to do His present will. 3) What about the immanent return of Christ? It is a dying topic among pulpits in a day when men “think not”. Live in the consideration that Christ will return as He promised. Some may ask us how we would inventory our 2012 ministry. There are several people to review in our update. Noah is our newest member. Energetic and ready for training, he was baptized in November. He gives our church announcements this year. Mark showed the most improvement in the last year. He takes attendance, offerings and leads in the monthly memory verse. Milton shows the most leadership and preaches our Sunday morning service. He will continue in Bible school. Moses and his family need direction. He has potential but in the nine years I have known him, his love is his work. Last, certainly not least, is Jackson. He has been with us a long time and taken on much the last few years. However, at this time, it looks as if he may become a Demas. He must sit out this semester for too many
demerits at the other Bible School. He failed the last course offered at our institute. His poor choices are adding up. He is running from my counsel on major issues. Pray for him. We love him and have much invested. May the Lord stop him in his tracks and turn him around.

Illness!
We had an emotional last six weeks of an otherwise great year. The kids had a short battle with malaria. Madelon had a bacterial infection. Just two weeks before Christmas I took Charles Jr. to the hospital for breathing difficulties. They admitted him with bronchial pneumonia. There was not time to tell churches as problems increased swiftly. We almost lost him. In my wild imagination all I could think of was we had gotten him a bicycle for Christmas and he may not live to see it.
I called our family and home Pastor for prayer and they put him on the prayer chain. After three days we came out victorious. Thank God for a praying church and loving Pastor! They also took an offering to cover the expenses. Thank you for praying! I know some knew and many did not. After that my wife and Charles Jr. got parasites (from
the hospital?) that we believe are gone now. The Lord is so gracious!

Incentive!
Last year was a good ministry year. It gave incentive for this year. After calculating our November/December Scripture distributions, our ministry here had hand delivered nearly 50’000 John & Romans, New Testaments and Born of God booklets during 2012 (excluding tracts & 15’000 plus books to other ministries). Our November ministry meetings went well preparing for 2013. Our men finished the church calendar, planned time for institute courses, and charted a five-year plan
for our building and mission funds. Numbers at our Children’s Club (VBS) in December were great despite some distractions. Christmas day and New Year’s Day uplifted Believers as they enjoy holding services on the holiday. Last year some were saved and some baptized. And it is great that some stayed. Please continue to pray more
with us this year as we witness.

Better equipped with your prayers!
Grace and Peace!!!!!!
Charles Siekbert
Missionaries,
Charles & Madelon Siekbert & Kids
1 John 1