Our Family is Complete!

While we have many wonderful stories we'd love to share, we've chosen 5 brief highlights for you – please share these with your local churches as you continue encouraging your people to support us in prayer.

Our first family picture - in the airport
preparing to travel to Costa Rica

1. In October, we finalized our adoption of Paulina (our 4-year old daughter from Mexico) after a 2-year-long process. She brings so much love and joy into our family and the lives of everyone she meets. 
2. Joel recently helped train 40 young people at the Caribbean Nazarene College in Trinidad in a weekend "cross cultural orientation." As a result of that training event, one young lady from Guyana is preparing to serve as a short-term missionary for 6 months in 2012; the English Field is planning to train and send a sports evangelism team to Ukraine in 2012 during the Euro Cup Soccer tournament; and additional Work and Witness trips to other countries are being planned by local churches in Trinidad. 
3. We were able to attend the first Regional Conference for the entire Mesoamerica Region in Guatemala, where over 700 people were in participation. We helped lead a training session on the ministry strategy that we are involved with - to discover and train new missionaries FROM Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean countries with our purpose to help make Christlike disciples in the nations. 
4. Allison, Nicolas and Annikah are all developing their Spanish language skills terrifically. As well, we have all started to speak primarily in English to Paulina (after being home and primarily speaking Spanish with her for 2 months) to help her quickly learn her second language, as well. As you can imagine, conversations in our home are wonderfully entertaining. 
5. We were invited to speak at a district NYI camp for the northern part of Costa Rica – training nearly 50 young people in the ministry strategy of Youth Mobilization – the new ministry on our region that partners NYI (Nazarene Youth International) and Missionary Mobilization. 

As you can see, your prayerful support of our ministry is making an impact – we need you!

Youth Camp in Poas, Costa Rica

Please continue to pray for us in these areas:

• We are training 12 new missionaries from 10 countries over the next 3 months – these missionaries will be serving in 7 different areas on our region in the areas of evangelism, discipleship and leadership development for six months.
• Pam, as she is involved with translation of Spanish and English ministry resources and training materials and as she disciples new and "young" Believers. 
• Joel, as he leads NYI and missionary training events in Cuba and Trinidad in January. 
• The children, as they continue developing their understanding of a 2nd language and developing friendships in Costa Rica. 
• We are involved with the planning of our regional Nazarene Youth Congress being held in Panama – July, 2012. Pray for God's wisdom and leadership for this event targeting over 800 youth from 30 nations. 

We have received a few emails about how to receive cards and packages here, in Costa Rica. While shipping costs can be higher for packages, lighter-weight items are certainly a very welcomed surprise. We can receive cards and letters quite easily, as well. Some people are cautious to send cash, however we've never had any issues with cards/letters being lost or stolen.

Our mailing address here is:

Joel Tooley 

SENDAS – Seminario Nazareno

PO Box 3977 (Casa #39)

San Jose, COSTA RICA 

As we prepare our hearts during this season, 

we are celebrating Advent each night by lighting our Advent wreath candles, 

listening to Christmas music and reading Scripture together. 

We were even blessed to have Grampa & Gramma Tooley join us by video

over the internet one night ~ reading the Advent devotional, singing and praying together.

We are so thrilled to be able to serve Jesus, our long-awaited King.  

He has come to bring 

            hope, peace and redemption 

                                             and is coming again to restore His creation in relationship with Him.