Christmas Card

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are Mine!
...
I , even I am the LORD;
And there is no savior besides Me.
...
'I am the first and I am the Last,
And there is no God besides Me.'
...
And you are My witnesses.
Is there any God besides Me,
Or is there any Rock?
I know of none.
...
all flesh will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."


Our life in Portland is pretty normal, barring the fact that living in southeast Portland close to the heart of town is anything but normal. Here one feels the heartbeat of America's diverse alternative lifestyles. We hardly even notice the color or shape of someone's hair (or lack thereof) nor all the arcane things they stick into and through themselves or the designs they tattoo on themselves like walking billboards. Although this time of year the tattoos are a little less in your face since the cold weather keeps them covered. It was after our return from Jordan while walking through reverse culture shock that we realized how much we had acclimated to the weird nature of this part of town. There are way more needs and broken hearts here than any individual can meet. Surely the harvests are plentiful, but the workers are few. Where are they? Some are busy working to pay of their $1500/month mortgage. Others have to pay for the new bed or second car. But others spend long hours with students at Portland State or the rescue missions or Crisis Pregnancy Centers or Cable Access Stations.

For the past six years Beth and I have been working with Light For All Nations, a ministry using satellite television to preach Jesus throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Shortly the Portland office will split off into a separate ministry focused on sharing the good news about the Savior, Jesus, with Muslim people in North America. The initial focus will be some 8,000+ Arabic speaking people in and around Portland. Most of our Arabic friends are from a Christian background, but we realize a need to develop contacts with the Arabic speaking Muslim background people and then to those who are Muslims but not Arab (most Muslims in the world are not from Arabic backgrounds). If you think of this from time to time please pray that we will have love, grace and wisdom for this work.

The kids are fine. Uriah and Michaela are still with Youth With A Mission. Stephen and Jessica are working with her dad in a ministry geared to helping men build Godly lifestyle disciplines necessary to escape various addictions. Gideon is doing much better. Last week we were finally able to visit him without glass between us and for longer than half an hour. It is no fairy tale that the father's heart does not sleep well while the wandering one is away from home. Faith and Hannah keep very busy working with the young kids at their church. Faith is a nanny for two toddlers and is taking online classes at the local community college. Hannah has been working at Macy's downtown store which is being closed for remodeling so she is looking at a job change and glad for it.

May this be for you a Merry Christmas,
Paul & Beth King