Happy New Year! How did your 2017 end? Did you enjoy Christmas?

We celebrated Christmas with the family as both Michael and Bethany made it back to Orlando. We had fun catching up, playing games and finishing a 1,500-piece jigsaw puzzle. Anne Marie’s parents joined the four of us for church on Christmas Eve (in the photo above), and to exchange gifts on Christmas Day. Photo by David Taylor.

Michael moved to Wisconsin almost two years ago to work for a medical software company. He enjoys life there. In his spare time, he plays ultimate Frisbee and runs with two clubs. Last November, he ran the Madison marathon—a great accomplishment.

Bethany felt at home in Nashville soon after she arrived there for college. Now, a year after completing school, she plans to stay. She thrives in her work with A Rocha, a Christian conservation organization, as she starts her second year there.

Anne Marie and I plan to start the new year working together to train writers in our office. The writers I supervise and several others Anne Marie knows are eager to start training in two weeks. Today, in our headquarters news-letter, we invited others to join the class. So far, 19 people have signed up. We may need a second class.

Would you pray for two things for us this month?

• Pray for our Writing for Life training at Cru’s head- quarters. Pray for the right people to be there, and for each one to complete an assignment each week. We’ll meet once a week this spring.
• Pray for my coordination with the new managing editor for Cru Storylines. I’ll train her individually over the next two months. (And if you haven’t done so yet, please subscribe at Cru.org/Storylines/Subscribe.)

We’re grateful for your prayers, generosity and friendship as we influence the world for Christ through communicating the gospel to others.