It’s amazing how strongly (at least for us Brits) the passage of time and movement through the calendar year is tied to the changing seasons. It just doesn’t feel like the start of a New Year when its 38C and this is the scene [if you are reading this in your email you won’t be able to view the video below unless you click on blue title and read it online]:

Whatever the weather, it is 2016 – a new year which is set to be a big one for Novō!

During the autumn we plan to open the doors of the first Novō community at Quinta Totaices, here in Santa Cruz. To get there here’s some of what needs to happen:

• Mickey and I need to upgrade our Spanish. We have begun working with a new teacher, Shirley, to this end. Please pray that we’ll make rapid progress towards a really high level of fluency!

• José-Ernesto needs to complete his training at Yeldall Manor, absorbing all he can from his experience, and return to Santa Cruz to take up the role of Director of the first Novō community. He is set to get back here at the start of June so that he can be here as we recruit and train staff, prepare the property and the programme, and network locally. José is an incredible asset to the team and we are excited that he has the opportunity to focus on the therapeutic side of life at Yeldall, having improved his English and got to know the broader programme in his role on the estate and supervising residents during evenings/weekends. Please keep José in your prayers as he continues to learn and grow at Yeldall!

JOSÉ IS NEXT TO ME, ALONG WITH WARREN, OUR FRIEND & CONSULTANT ALEX KOZEL, AND MYRON

• Rachel Burton needs to arrive safely, crack Spanish (she already has French and some Spanish), and settle here in Bolivia. She is currently completing her orientation with CMS (Church Mission Society) in Southall. She arrives here in Santa Cruz on 7th February but will spend her first 3 months up in Cochabamba at language school. We are excited by what she will bring to the team, particularly in terms of her administrative gifts and experience of the group therapy aspect of the Yeldall programme. Please pray for Rachel in all of this – that she will know God’s hand with her every step of the way!

• We need to do some serious fundraising! More details on this to follow. For now, please give thanks with us for God’s incredible provision to this point, for us personally and for Novō!

• We need to take on our project property, Quinta Totaices. This should happen over the next few weeks. Although we don’t ‘need’ a property just yet Quinta Totaices is so ideal we didn’t want to lose it and are grateful to its owner for being so flexible to work with us on a gradual transition from his use to ours between now and September. In this context our rent begins at just £350/month but reaching £900/month in September. This is an incredible price given the quality of the property! Please pray that everything will go smoothly with Quinta Totaices and for a superb relationship on an ongoing basis between us and its owner

THE COURTYARD AT THE HEART OF QUINTA TOTAICES

There’s much more to mention but, for now, let me tell you about some important visits on the calendar.

This coming week Trevor Childs arrives with his wife, Eleanor, for a few days to work with Warren, Myron and I as we put together a strategic plan for the next 5 years, particularly in relation to the development of our governance structures and the launching of more Novō communities. Please pray that God will speak clearly to us during these meetings guiding us into His best plans for Novō!

The week after next two more of our Novō UK Trustees arrive for a visit. Sharon Klitgaard and her husband, Duncan, along with Jonathan Horne, will be here for just over a week to encourage us, help us as we form a communication plan for the year ahead, and to get to know Bolivia better. Please pray for a safe travels and an excellent and fruitful time together!

Finally, looking ahead to April, Dave and Wendy Penner will be here. Dave is the EFCCM Director and Transitional South American Director and it will be great to continue the conversations we began in Vancouver and further build the relationship between Novō and the EFCCM (Evangelical Free Church of Canada Mission) leadership.

Thanks, as ever, for taking the time to read our news, for praying with us, and for your support, expressed in a multitude of ways.

With much love,

Andy & Mickey

We are pioneering Novō as self-supported missionaries. If you would like to support us financially you can do so tax-effectively through an organization called Stewardship.   To make a one-off gift or to set-up a regular monthly donation, please go to: www.give.net/20171708 or send me an email.