"....the Magi went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed." (Matthew 2:9 &10)

We pray that you will be overjoyed this Christmas and throughout 1998 as you keep your eyes on Jesus, our bright morning star. He is the star and compass by which we steer the work of GFC. This is pictured (left) in the cover design of the enclosed booklet which is our Christmas gift to you. We would be grateful for your help in making the work of GFC more widely known in your church. Please ask for as many booklets as you can use and we will be happy to supply them at £1.00 each including p&p.

PAKISTAN - We are glad to report that we have had news from Basharat Ureem. He and his family are now well settled in Lahore. Thank you for your prayers which have been so graciously answered. Praise the Lord! The doors are open and Bash is busy locating Gypsies in the city. Please pray for the planned Christmas Service and outreach dinner, and that the target of 50 converts by the end of the year will be reached; and also for the needs of Bash, his family and team.

BELARUS - Bernard Mends felt God's hands upon his journey and on the immigration problems he experienced. Valdemar Kalinin met him at Minsk and as his son, Nicholas, was getting married Bernard was asked to preach at the Gypsy wedding. The bride's father had been a colonel in the Russian army and offered to take Bernard to visit the Gypsy communities. Valdemar's sister took him to visit the school where she works and he met the teachers over breakfast. He found that Communism is not dead! Bernard would like to return to Belarus and asks for our prayers for the future.

SLOVAKIA - Please keep the plight of the Gypsies in your prayers as they seek political asylum in Britain. In our Newsletter 8 (Summer 1996) we reported on the appalling conditions in which they live and the discrimination they face in every walk of life. Neo Nazi groups terrorise them in their ghettos and it is a sad comment on society that they face the same attitudes here that drove them from their own country to seek refuge elsewhere. Letters to newspapers and comments on radio phone-in programmes help to bring a Christian perspective to the problem. Thank you everyone who has made a contribution in this way.

SIBERIA - We will be visiting Chita in August/September 1998. Please keep the many aspects of the trip in prayer - visas and other documents, flights and connections, interpreters and finance etc. We believe God will meet all our needs!

VISITS FROM ABROAD - Istavan Fanscali, one of our Romanian interpreters, has been in England on holiday. He has had an enjoyable time and we are grateful to everybody who has taken care of him and treated him so generously. We were glad to see Rev C F Thomas of CBF while he was in London on business. Even though it was just a brief visit we were encouraged by 'T's advice, support and fellowship.

HOME NEWS

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE - Terry Hurst reports that work is opening up in the area. He visits local sites where he has found Christians who are not in fellowship. He and his family now worship at the Elim Church and plans are going ahead to start another church in Stokenchurch sharing a building with the Methodist congregation. Terry will have oversight of the work and a Celebration/Mission with the GFC marquee is planned for May 1998. Please pray about this exciting development and for Terry with new openings and responsibilities. He has many preaching engagements in the local churches and was in Littlehampton representing GFC at the Missionary Exhibition in the local Baptist Church on November 15th. We will report on this event in our next Newsletter.

SOUTH WALES - We were in South Wales sharing with the Zion Christian Fellowship in Talywain from the 13th - 24th of November. We were glad to renew our ties with the church, make new friends and contacts on the local Gypsy site - more news to follow! The run-up to Christmas is a busy time for us and we would appreciate your prayers for safe journeys as we travel to our many engagements.

TRANS-WORLD RADIO - broadcasts to the Gypsies in Eastern Europe continue to go out from the transmitter in Albania and as a result two new churches have been started. Praise the Lord!

GOSPEL CARDS - Thank you very much for supporting this project to raise funds for our work overseas. There will be a 10% off SALE in the New Year so please ring the office if you want to stock up with Christmas, Birthday and Occasional cards for 1998!

STAMPS FOR EVANGELISM - Please save used postage stamps (Christmas is a good time to do this) and send them to Peter Brown, 33 Sidgwick House, Stockwell Road, London SW9 9EZ. The stamps are sold on and GFC is then rewarded with a percentage of the profits.

GIVING - Did you know that you can increase the value of your gift by nearly a third? If you pay income tax, giving by Covenant or Gift Aid does just that. Please contact the office for more information.

Thank you to The Way-In Christian Fellowship, South Woodford who enable us to send out our Newsletters. We are very grateful to our church for all their help and support.

With love and greetings for Christmas and the New year from everyone on the GFC Team.