Greetings again from Palawan! We have so much to be thankful for! This does not mean we have no trials here, but it simply means that God is always good to us, His grace is always sufficient, His mercies are always new every morning, He is always faithful, and He always watches over us.

A lot has happened in the last few months, and we are especially thankful for a new little addition to our family. Gloria Noelle Pearson was born on December 26, 2004 at 11:00 am, which was still Christmas evening in America. She is now almost two months old, and we are really enjoying her. She is beginning to smile more now, and sleeps much better through the night than she did last month. We are still adjusting to being outnumbered by our children, but overall it's a lot of fun.

Jonathan is now two years old, and speaks Taglish (1/2 Tagalog, 1/2 English). He'll have it all sorted out in a couple more years. We enjoy him very much and he's a lot of fun, but he is also full of mischief. We never thought OUR kid would hit the "terrorrific two's", but  he has proven us very wrong. However, he is very nice to Gloria, and most of the time he's pretty good, except when he isn't. Last night he tried to jump from one chair to another and cut his mouth badly. Two of his bottom teeth punctured all the way through, below his lip. We really thank the Lord that he is recovering quickly, and doesn't seem to be in too much pain.

Olivia will turn four in April. She is quite fluent in Tagalog, and even speaks Tagalog when she plays with Jonathan. She loves to help the students at work time with planting grass and flowers, and landscaping the campus. She also loves to eat with the students in the cafeteria when she gets a chance. She is now learning to wash dishes and be mommy's helper around the house.

She is also very happy to have 'lolo' (her grandpa) back in Palawan for 3 months.

Annie is busy now preparing for our spring Convention March 14-17. She is in charge of the music, and is helping the students prepare their special songs  for each evening service. The seven pastors children will also do a combined singing and instrumental number. The students are excited with the opportunity to learn new instruments since the guitar is basically the only instrument commonly used here in Palawan. Some of them are taking violin lessons, and others are learning the piano. Next year we hope to introduce the trumpet, flute, and cello. When we go back to America this coming summer, we will be looking for some used but good quality instruments to bring back to Palawan.

I have been occupied as usual with the needs of the churches and Bible School. Most of our pastors now have a new metal roof on their parsonages, but we still have to deliver roofing to a few places where the pastors are still in the process of building or remodeling their homes. We are so thankful for all those who have supported the mission work here. A special thanks to the members of Calvary Christian Church in Royal Oak, MI, Maple Grove Assembly in Lapeer, MI, and Faith Tabernacle Church in Elmira, New York, as well as to Rev. John Lucas and other individuals who have met so many needs. (2 Cor. 9:12,13)

Please pray for our upcoming Graduation Convention in March. We often have over 400 people stay on our campus during this week, and most of them are pastors and their wives, as well as other graduates who are helping under them. They come here with an earnest expectation to meet with God and be strengthened in the ministry, and this is certainly the goal of the Convention. Please pray also that the Lord would provide their fare to come here. The lack of a fare (which is on the average $5-6/person) is usually the only reason a pastor wouldn't attend.

Rev. John Stutzman is now back here in Palawan until the end of April. Continue to pray for him as he teaches for 4 more weeks here at the Bible School , and then as he heads off to Kaliagon to begin building the orphanage in the middle of March.

We thank you again for your prayers, your letters, and your encouragement. I pray that all of us would love Jesus more this year, and become more and more occupied with doing His work, and at the same time may we find pleasure in doing so. It really isn't all that far away till we see Jesus face to face and live eternally in His glorious kingdom.  May God give us a burning desire to turn many to righteousness, and to rescue lost souls from the prison houses of sin and darkness. Time is short, and heaven is just around the corner. May this joy set before us enable us to endure the cross.

We hope to see all of you again soon.

May the Lord richly bless you. Lots of love, Luke, Annie, Olivia, Jonathan, and Gloria.