Newsletter for Christmas 2025

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to family and friends!

I continue to live and work near Washington, DC, making nautical charts. My extended family is well, including my sister Lisa and her husband John, and my niece Jenny and her husband Jason near Sacramento, California; my sister Drea in Austin, Texas, as well as family and friends elsewhere. I continue playing guitar at the Bible Church of the Nations in Falls Church, VA; participating in Bible studies with Eleos Healing Global Mission, and leading “Sunday School on the Street” with 21st Century Hand-to-Hand (21CH2H) in Annandale. I continue to sponsor children through Compassion International in South and Central America, and in Ghana, Africa. I also kept in touch with friends like Gipson in Ecuador and Enmy in Nicaragua.

Local ministry in Annandale, VA

James and Jackie with Annandale youth,
September 2025

Throughout the year, I supported Jakelin and 21CH2H to teach Bible lessons to children outdoors on Saturdays, and distribute  food in two Annandale neighborhoods. We led weekly Bible studies and activities with at-risk youth, and they helped us in church with setup and the Saturday outreaches. We also treated some of these students to activities like the Museum of the Bible, Sandy Point Beach, Air and Space Museum - Udvar Hazy Center, Route 11 Potato Chip Factory, Great Falls Park, and Great Country Farms. The outreaches plant spiritual seeds in children’s likes. Several of the youth have grown spiritually and expressed an interest in getting baptized.

Compassion Sponsor Tour in Bolivia – 1-8 June 2025

James with Deyvis, Neymar and Eric in Bolivia,

June 2025

The first week of June, I traveled to Bolivia with Compassion International (photos) to visit three kids I sponsor there, and view the ministry work. We visited a church project in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, then spent the rest of the week visiting students and teachers in rural and city sites around Cochabamba. Due to road-block protests about rising gas prices, our plans changed for our final days. The staff surprised us on Thursday night by bringing our sponsored kids to the restaurant for dinner, a day before our Friday fun day visit. That evening I got to meet sponsored kids Deyvis (13) and Neymar (11). On Friday, Erick (19) got leave from his military training to attend also. On Saturday, the leaders brought the church from nearby Sacaba to our hotel for a program of singing, local costumes, awards and activities. The Compassion tours help me understand my sponsored kids better, and help me to appreciate the real impact that our support provides.

Ecuador Outreaches with Eleos Healing in July and in December

Outreach in Chaupiloma, July 2025

My friends, Dino and Cecy, of Eleos Healing Global Mission organized a ministry trip to Ecuador for a week in June (photos). We visited seven schools in rural communities around Cayambe, serving over 800 students, teachers and families in the area. At each site, Jakelin and I led a children’s program teaching Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We provided anti-parasite medicines, snacks to wash the medicine down, clothing and other gifts. We returned the first week of December (photos) for outreaches around Cayambe, plus in some remote villages near Sigchos. These outreaches touch many lives with health and the gospel, and this year open new areas of opportunity to serve people in need.

Miscellaneous:

May & July: I got reacquainted with cousins on my mom’s side in Texas, while visiting my sister Drea in Austin. Recommended free Bible App: e-Sword for PC, iOS & Android.