Our Fall Quarter wrapped up on Friday, December 3 and the students have gone home for a few weeks break. The students are doing really well in their studies and the ministry opportunities that they have had this past quarter. They will be returning on January 2 to travel to our Schroon Lake, New York campus where they will join our students from Parole de Vie and the Schroon Lake students for the annual missions conference, a time where the students are challenged about world missions.

This past Monday we began painting the interior of the small house that Naomi and I are going to be moving into in another week. The house is just across the yard from the apartment that we have lived in the last two years, but it will provide us with a lot more room to grow.

Yesterday (Dec. 7) Naomi and I spent 6 hours in a prenatal seminar. It was.. interesting. umm.. I’m not going to say anything more about that..

Lord willing, we will be boarding a plane to travel to Alberta for Christmas on December 23. We are really looking forward to visiting family and friends out there and just relaxing for a few days.

Thank you for your prayers for Naomi and I as I continue to be involved with the leadership of our church and Naomi as she continues with the pregnancy.

May God bless you this Christmas season.

Troy & Naomi

PS. As of today, December 8, there are approximately 96 days until Naomi’s due date!

Like many people in Owen Sound, I am looking for winter tires. The weather has really changed over the two weeks while we were in New Brunswick and Quebec.. our first day back saw the first snow of the year, and this morning there were three inches of fresh snow on the ground.

While away, we were involved in two missions conferences at supporting churches and two conventions. We enjoyed the fellowship and opportunities to share about our ministry with friends and supporters at the churches and people that we met at the conventions.

Back in Owen Sound, we are hoping to start our move from our apartment to a small house across the campus by the end of the month.

Naomi is doing well and is currently in the 6th month of pregnancy. As of Nov. 9, there are approximately 125 days until B-Day.

Recently I have uploaded over 100 photos to my photography website. Check it out at
www.troyandnaomi.com/photography

This past weekend we held the graduation ceremonies for our second class from our English Canadian Bible Institute. It was a wonderful time of celebrating what the Lord God has been doing in and through our 37 graduates. Naomi and I have enjoyed watching the students grow in maturity (both spiritual and otherwise) over the last 11 months as they have learned more about God in class, in the dorms, in ministry, and more recently, in the summer camp program. Now with twice the number of alumni, we look forward to hearing how these young people are going to influence Canada and the world for Jesus Christ. Thank you for your support and prayers, both of which have helped us this past year and enabled us to be a part of this ministry at Word of Life.

Moving on.. we now change our focus to the start of the next school year, which is now only 24 days away! Please pray for us as we make plans for this new student body, and for the students as they make plans to join us.

Troy & Naomi

As of today, August 6:
There are only 9 days until graduation of the class of 2004.
There are only 35 days until September registration for the class of 2005.

Seven weeks of summer camp will be winding down next week and on August 15 we will be having the graduation ceremonies for the 2003-04 class. Our Bible Institute students have been working hard yet having lots of fun as they have been interacting with young people and sharing what they have learned this past year as students. Last week I had a couple of opportunities to share from God’s Word with the camp staff and campers, challenging them to make Bible study a part of their lives.

Pray for Naomi and I as we now are in the final month of preparation for the start of the school year. Lord willing we will have over 40 people studying the Bible with us this coming year.

Troy & Naomi

P.S. I have added the rest of our summer vacation photos to our web site: www.troyandnaomi.com/photography

Naomi and I have been back in Owen Sound for a week now and I am finally getting caught up on email and the papers on my desk. We had a wonderful time on our vacation visiting family and friends in New Brunswick and seeing the sights.

On our trip we had a couple of relaxing days visiting the two Maritime islands.. We were directed to a generous Christian family on PEI who own some cottages where we stayed for a couple of nights. I highly recommend the North Rustico Motel Cottages & Inn if you are heading that way. We also went with my mother to Cape Breton to explore the Cabot Trail and other sights this beautiful island has to offer.

While in my home area, I had the privilege of speaking at three churches: my home church; a small church we have visited before; and a church that was new to us. We enjoyed the hospitality found at all three churches as we had great time of fellowship.

Back in Owen Sound, we are now busy getting into the swing of things with plans for September registration and other projects for Word of Life. Summer camp is buzzing around us, so there are many exciting things happening on campus with young campers everywhere.

Thanks for praying for us as we have been travelling. It is good to be home.

Troy & Naomi

PS: I will be uploading more pictures from our vacation as time goes on, but for now there is a series of pictures of the Tantramar Marsh at www.troyandnaomi.com/photography.htm