Christmas greetings from the Door of Hope.
We want to say thank you for your faithfulness and partnership in ministry. This year has been like no other to say the least. We started this year with so many plans as to what we would be doing in ministry only to discover that all those plans would be changed. The vision of what ministry would look like this year has taken a radical change after experiencing the great loss of Erick’s passing with deep impact on so many as well as the worldwide, local and personal effects of the pandemic. What future ministry at The Door of Hope will look like is unknown at this point and to be honest with you, all this is a little unsettling for us. We are certain that God is not finished in this place but how we fit into what He is doing here is still unknown. We are praying and interceding for all those touched by Door of Hope because what God has started, He will not abandon.
We returned home after spending seven months in the US to find that what we knew has changed to the unknown. It was like coming home and finding so much is now unfamiliar. It is almost like starting from where we were 15 years ago. We are still trying to figure out what it is God is doing and how we can join Him in this process to transform lives with His eternal hope.
I (Tim) have been studying the Christmas story recently for the messages for December. I discovered that Joseph and Mary had many plans for their lives as they prepared themselves for their marriage. Just as all young couples dream and wonder what the future holds, they were no different. But in a flash their lives were turned upside down, each of them having an encounter with the angel Gabriel. They must have been surprised and a bit confused at the situation they found themselves in. Here they are not even married and yet Mary was pregnant and in their culture the shame and embarrassment that came with this situation. Yet I am sure no matter how hard they tried to explain that God had chosen them, no one understood them. It was something that only a few of God’s chosen at the time could fully comprehend. Every time that Gabriel appeared, one of the first things he said was “do not be afraid”. So many times in our lives we find things changing and one of the first things we do is become afraid. Afraid of the unknown, the where and the how. I think that fear is a common reaction. But for the believer it should be clear that fear does not come from God, it is just not in His nature. The only place fear comes from is the enemy. Over 25 years ago Daina and I knelt at the alter and told God that we were His to send us wherever He wanted and to do whatever he wanted. That hasn’t changed so we step into this New Year with our hopes and dreams in the hands of the ONE who holds it all in His hands.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23
May all your hopes and dreams for this next year be in His hands as well. As the angel Gabriel told Jospeh and Mary “Do Not Be Afraid”. God is in control, He always has been and He always will be. He is doing something and wants us all to join Him, of that I am sure. May God bless you and keep you in the hollow of His hand.
A very merry CHRISTmas to you followed by a CHRIST filled 2021
Tim and Daina Datwyler
