12 December 2005
I am sorry for
being so long in getting this out. Email is supposed to be quicker than smoke
signals, but only if they are sent out promptly.
We have been
extremely busy for the last couple of months. We came home in October and haven’t
had much time to spare. Gary had surgery shortly after our return and as a
result of the biopsies; at least we have a name for his ailment. It is called
interstitial cystitis. The bad news is that it is difficult to cure and it
looks like our time on the foreign mission field is over. This has been
difficult for us. We had planned to be on the field for nine more years. Our
plans are not always God’s plans. Please keep us in your prayers as we seek to
see what He has planned for us in the future. We really want to stay involved
in missions.
In November we
attended the Alabama Baptist Convention in Huntsville. The week of activities
included a banquet and closing ceremony for the Alabama/Venezuela Partnership,
and a commissioning ceremony for new IMB missionaries. This was a very pleasant
time as we got to visit with many of you who have made trips to Venezuela. We
also got to spend some time with the missionaries from Venezuela and the
Venezuelan Baptist leaders who were able to attend this year’s convention. It
was also a bittersweet time as we realize that our time on the field there has
ended. We continue to pray for our many friends there. We look forward as
Alabama Baptists move ahead to new partnerships with Guatemala and the Ukraine.
We are getting
settled in our home and spending some time with family. For now our plans are
to concentrate on Gary’s health and getting him the treatments and rest that he
needs. We are so thankful to all of you for your prayers for us thru the years.
Because of God’s faithfulness and your prayers our time on the field was so
very precious. God has blessed us beyond measure. We praise His holy name.
We hope that
you and yours have a very Merry Christmas, not just Happy Holidays. We have
been having a difficult time with the rapidly declining usage of that term here
in the states. In striving to be politically correct, we are forgetting what
this time of year is all about. We need to stand up and be proud to be
Christians, but realize that at times we will be called radicals. That’s ok.
We want to
take this time to thank you for your giving to the Lottie Moon Missions
Offering and the Cooperative Program. This is the time of year most Baptist
churches focus on giving to the work of foreign missions. We must always be about His work both at home and around the world. Through your giving and your praying you are a part of His work done
around the world.
Looking Ahead- As we look ahead to next year, we
realize that for the first time in our lives, we have no idea what the future
holds. We want to get our health situation under control, and then find where
God would have us serve. We for sure will always have missions at the center of
our plans and we pray that you will also keep your focus on the world. 
Prayer Requests
-Pray for
the missionaries who are still serving in Venezuela. Some of them have health
problems and some have family members in the states with severe health
problems.
-Pray for
the Venezuelan Baptists as they strive to reach their country for Christ.
-Pray for
political and economic stability in Venezuela.
-Pray for
MKs who are stateside in college. Many of them will be traveling during the
holidays.
-Pray for
Gary’s health that he will soon be feeling much better and for our understanding
of God’s leading in this next phase of our life.
-Pray for
Donna’s Aunt Delma and Uncle Tom. Pray that her broken bones will heal properly
and she will soon be able to return to her home. Pray for continued strength
and encouragement for both of them.
Philippians
1:4,5 - In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with
joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
Know that we love you and pray for you often,
Gary and Donna Clayton
Snail
Mail:
111 Tessie
Drive
Owens Cross Roads, AL
Phone Numbers: Gary--- 256-656-6421
Donna-256-541-7429