November started with the second of the “Smiles” containers being shipped, this one from the
Highway church in Judsonia. This is the second container that Highway has shipped to Nicaragua in
the last month. Words cannot express the gratitude for the efforts of so many at Highway in the
receiving, gathering, sorting, and the packing of over 6,300 “Smiles” in that container. Our final count
of “Smiles” for 2008 is 7,368. God is good. You will have more about “Smiles” and pictures in our
December Newsletter. Go to www.mpc-works.smugmug.com for current pictures and distribution.

We were blessed to attend the Pan America Lectureship in Quito, Ecuador. This is a great time
for each of us to be with people we have grown to love over the years and meet new people who all
have a heart for Latin America. Donna and I both agree that if we had to limit ourselves to one
lectureship a year this would be the one we want to keep on the schedule. The lectureship is held each
year the first week of November; next year’s PAL will be in Brazil, www.lectureship.org.

We returned early from Ecuador directly to Nicaragua to be
with two couples, Wallace and Brenda Johnson & Ansley and
Charlotte Whatley from the Westgate church in Dothan, AL.
Westgate has increased their involvement with us in Nicaragua this
year; one special blessing was their help with of one of the “Smiles”
containers that was shipped from there the last of October. On
November 8, Brenda and Charlotte did a seminar for our teachers
designed to share with them the importance of their work in
changing the lives of Nicaragua children.

At the Teacher’s Workshop in November we
introduced to the teachers the Bryon Robertson
Memorial Mobile Library. It is impossible to have a
library for all our schools and thus we have started the
mobile library in honor of Bryon Robertson, he was a
member of the Nicaraguan Mission Committee in
Plainview. Memorials to the mission in his memory
were used to start the library. Plans are that memorial
funds received by the mission (without specific
purpose) will used in the future to expand the library.

We were back in the states briefly and visited with the congregation in Farwell, TX who have
decided to become a partner with us in the mission. A special thanks to Scott and Brittney Hawkins
who made this connection for us. We also were able to have some time with the church in Plainview
and Grapevine. We are blessed with their continued support.

Also on this trip we were able to finalize our new focus of our partnership with Sunset in
Lubbock. In 2009 we will expand our Institute of Preparation of Workers to six one-week seminars
and will be looking at on-line classes and hopefully by the summer live video conferencing classes. A
very special thanks to Chris Swinford and Truitt Adair and their commitment to the mission to design
a program that best fits our area of focus in northern Nicaragua.

While back in the states we had the opportunity to be with
family for Thanksgiving which is always a time of Thanksgiving. Our
prayer is that your Thanksgiving Day was as special as ours.
We returned to Nicaragua the end of November with Robert and Rita
Murray with us from Missouri. We met the Murrays at the Abundantly
Living Seminar in October and they shared with us their passion of
helping children of the church attend high school, something they have
been doing in Honduras for over 20 years. They came to Nicaragua and
found four youth to help in that way. One of those they will help is
Anelly. We thank God people like the Murrays and you that make this
mission possible.

In our effort to give greater attention to the congregations with help and encouragement, we
had the first campaign in Matagalpa. We are looking to do at least one a quarter with different
congregations in 2009. We were blessed with five baptisms during the week and Julio said the time
was a blessing to the congregation and to him. Our next campaign will be in Apanas as we work to
establish a new congregation there.

The financial crisis is on everyone’s mind and it is challenging times. We have been asked by
many concerning how this will affect the mission. With this in mind we have these thoughts and
request:

* We realize that many of you will not be able to do what you have done in the past and
we thank-you for all the support and encouragement you have been to us.

* We ask you to consider your support for this mission and if possible look to additional
ways to support this effort.

* We know that we must secure additional partners in 2009 and we need your help in that
way. Please share what we are doing in Nicaragua with someone that may not know of the
mission here.

* We also ask your consideration of an end of the year one-time contribution to the mission.

* One very specific need is to purchase text-books for our schools.

* Consider memorial gifts to the mission. Those gifts not designated will be used for
additional books for the Robertson Mobile Library.

* We move in 2009 with confidence in our Lord that He will provide that which is
necessary.

* Contact us today for a completed list of specific support needs for 2009,



misionparacristo@aol.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

As we move to the end of the year we ask your prayers and thoughts:
1. This newsletter mentions a number of individuals and couples that have made a difference
in Nicaragua this month. So often we talk about group efforts (and they are very important
to our work here) but it is the individuals that make the unique difference in Nicaragua.
Look to how you could make a difference in 2009 in our efforts to make an “Eternal
Difference” in Nicaragua.
2. Prayers for decision on treatment of Benny’s neck problem and Donna’s knees.
3. Nicaragua…it is a country divided, especially since the elections in November. But things
continue to be stable and life is going on. Yes, there have been some problems that have
made international press but nothing that affects what we do or that has changed our plans
on what we are doing. There continues to be a great need in what we do in sharing Jesus
as we serve people. Please pray that we can continue to do what we do in 2009.
Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement, for without this support this
mission for Christ would not be possible.
Blessings in His name:
Benny and Donna Baker