Merry Christmas

From our Family to Yours,

Merry Christmas!

This Christmas season, let us not forget to honor the Lord Jesus Christ, Who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and died in our place on the cross of Calvary.

May your New Year be filled with many blessings as you continue to strive in His service.

The Cloughs

New Support

On Wednesday, I received a call from my pastor. He had good news. A pastor from a church in Texas had sent him a letter stating that their church would be taking us on for support. What a blessing! That same night, we presented our ministry in a church in Oklahoma. Right after I preached, the pastor recommended to the church that they take us on for support. The church voted right then and there to support us. Praise the Lord! In December alone, six churches have indicated that they want to partner with us in our missionary endeavors to Scotland.

We are pleased, and overwhelmed at the same time. We went the whole month of October, and most of November without any new churches stating that they wished to support us. Many missionaries reassured me that this was typical! Most churches don't take on a missionary right away. It's usually several months down the road. So we trusted in our God. It's a blessing to see how the Lord honors our trust in Him! At the end of November, one church pledged to support, and now six this month. The Lord truly is good. God be praised!

Have Bible - Will Travel

So far, our deputation trails have taken us through several states, up and down the midwest. We're currently in Healdton, OK. We're staying in a very nice missions house for the next week and a half. We'll be presenting our ministry at the church here in Healdton this Sunday, and then in Ardmore this next Wednesday. Following that, we have a couple of meetings in Iowa before we head back to Minnesota for Christmas and the New Year.

Things have gone very well for us to this point. We're currently at 9.5% in our pledged support. There are two other churches who've said they'll be taking us on, but we don't know what amounts yet. So, that will increase our pledged support amount as well. And there are several other prospects that we haven't heard from yet.

It's been a real blessing to be able to present our ministry in so many places. But more than that, I've enjoyed being able to preach the Word! It's been our goal to be a blessing wherever we go. In many of the places that we've gone, people have said, "That was exactly what I needed to hear!" Praise the Lord! It's not because I'm an eloquent preacher. The key is being directed and filled with the Holy Spirit. We pray that the Lord would continue to use us as it pleases Him, and bring in our support in His time!

Don Clough

If At First You Don't Succeed...

As a parent, I know that it is my responsibility to teach and train my children. But it is surprising sometimes just how my I learn from them!

Today we took Harry to the park to let him play for a while. There were several other kids there that he was interacting with. On one occassion, Harry was sitting at the top of a corkscrew slide, and talking to another little boy. He lost his grip and fell backwards down the slide, tumbling all the way down. He cried for a moment, and I came over and brushed him off.

Do you know what that little boy did? He went right back up to that slide and went down again (this time with less acrobatics!).

I immediately thought of a verse from Proverbs which I've included below:

"For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief."

(Proverbs 24:16)

What a lessson for each of us to learn! Many times, we will fall, and we will fail in our service for the Lord. The key is that we get back up and try again! Just as I came over and dusted Harry off, our Heavenly Father comes to our aid and helps us to our feet. All we need to do is get back in His service!

Don

Be Ready Always

Today we were out at the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science. Shortly before we left, we were approached by a man and a woman. The man was a double-amputee and was being pushed by the woman (his wife) in a wheel-chair. They stopped and asked us for money so they could get a hotel room for the night. (I know what you're thinking: "I've heard this before!)

As soon as I saw the man, I thought of a passage of scripture from the book of Acts, which I've quoted below:

"And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; (3) Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. (4) And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. (5) And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. (6) Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." (Act 3:2-6)

Now, I didn't tell the man to rise up and walk! But I did give the man such as I had. I gave him a gospel tract, and told him that I didn't have any money to give him (which was true!), but I wanted to give him something much more important!

You know, the Bible tells us in I Peter 3:15: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" We need to be ready, regardless of the situation we are in, to be a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ! Thank God someone took the time to witness to us!

November Prayer Letter

Dear Prayer Partners,

The Lord has been abundantly good to us this past month. We have so much to be thankful for! The Lord has met our needs on every occasion, and has blessed us above, and beyond anything that we deserve! One church has pledged to take us on for support, and there are several other prospects on the horizon. Please continue to pray that the Lord would bring in our support in His time.

At the beginning of November, we attended a missions conference in Broken Arrow, OK. It was a tremendous blessing to us! We had a great time of fellowship, and the church blew us away with their generosity! A special “thank you” to the Pyrziewskis for allowing us to stay in their home while we were with their church. We also had the privilege of presenting our ministry in Muskogee, Kingfisher, and Duncan Oklahoma. We made many new friends, and several new contacts for the future. A special “thank you” to the Browns in Muskogee for opening their home to us, and to the Taylors in Duncan for allowing us to share Thanksgiving with them.

Toward the middle of the month we headed into Texas. (It’s been nice to head south for the winter!) The Lord allowed us to present our ministry in Plainview, and Lubbock Texas. “Thank you” to the Johnsons in Plainview, TX for letting us stay with them while we were in the area. And we want to thank all of those in Lubbock who made our stay so enjoyable.

A SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST

My wife and I had been praying about taking another survey trip to Scotland. (I went alone the first time due to the birth of our second child.) One of the churches that we visited gave us a tremendous love-offering that covered the cost of our plane tickets. What a blessing! We still need the Lord to bring in about $1,500 to cover the cost of a hotel, food, and a rental car. We would appreciate your prayers concerning this. If you would like to help, please send any love-offerings to our sending church marked “Clough Survey Trip.” Lord bless you and yours! We hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

Unto Him Be Glory,

Brother Don Clough, Missionary to Scotland