an Emig family ‘NOW’ …          Dearest one …  as a trusted relationship, Nora and I would like to open this update, with a word from her and her journey of late.  As you well know, she has been alongside me over the past three and a half years of my recovery and fought hard to maintain herself, me, and our family, and provide for an unknown future.  As the illustrations above indicate, now is a time for intimacy with our Lord, listening, and communion.  Nora …  As you know, I have been teaching Special Education at a Title 1 school this year.  They have a year-round school model which means that we started in July.  I went into the school year having been diagnosed with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. I was struggling with exhaustion, a chronic cough, muscle fatigue, brain fog, and difficulty remembering things. The needs of the students were so much greater than at my previous schools. I had third, fourth, and fifth grade and was leading 9, 40-minute academic groups each day. Plus, I needed to add 3 writing groups to my schedule, and there weren’t any free blocks of time to add them. Preparation for academic groups and Individual Education Plan (IEP)s, documents all had to be completed after hours. This extreme stress took a toll on my health, mental state, and walk in-Christ. I was making a lot of mistakes because I couldn’t think and remember things despite all my lists and reminders. Through much thought and prayer, God led me to resign and focus on restoring my health. We are going through a lot of medical testing to find out what is the root cause of my health struggle. Please pray that the doctors will have wisdom to the causes.  We’re trusting our Lord Jesus in all this!   Back to me/Dan …  Thanks so much for hearing Nora!  She has been so brave and seeking to discern how GOD is leading in all this.  We all fully back her decision to hit the pause button and give space to recover and investigate with doctors, all the possibilities for help.  We trust your praying into all this, and the journey ahead will be a great time for all needful help and restoration in all areas of her life!   With Nora’s pause, it also gave us a window for seeing my Mom, and a number of you in Georgia, especially from our sending church.  It was so encouraging to be there with you all, and to get a few days break in Saint Simons Island!  Do pray for my dear Mom, as she is now 88, and we continue to pursue how best to provide for her needs.       February was a very busy month and provided many ways for us to pivot and be in positions to further our work.  We have begun our August Conference preparations, as our team met and agreed on how best to serve those times in Lebanon and Kurdistan, IRAQ.  We’re always provided such a quality team, with just the right persons filling each role of needs.  There was also a clear focus on Africa this month, as we continue to be a via-duct of provision for so many activities there.  From water supplies in new wells bored, to congregations receiving new buildings, to sewing machine training; we are amazed in how provisions works.  We are also encouraged by how a certain peace seems to be establishing in Lebanon.  Below is also a photo of two key people we support in their ministry to refugees.              Dan, Nora and I are thankful for you being so embedded in our lives and all these ‘goings-ons’!!!   We could never BE nor do without you in our lives !!   “We give thanks to GOD always concerning you … ”   &  Daniel and Nora                                      Dan and Nora’s personal GSA giving site, for online gifts, please CLICK below on the link or scan QRC above:  https://www.globalassociates.org/members/daniel-emig ❤️   😊     Donations mailing address noted on check: “for Daniel Emig”         Global Service Associates P.O. Box 20425  Boulder,  CO 80308-3425

  
January’s been a blur and ushered in a great start to 2025!  
Nora and I thank each of you who helped us start this year, praying and gifting us in so many ways, allowing us a good start into a New Year.  
      

Our family had a great Christmas together, and we were blessed to have Jonathan stay with us well into January.  Many great conversations and times together with each of our children!  Nora even gave into some video game time with them.   And of course, some thumb-wrestling as Eliana and Jonathan waited for a bowling lane.  🙂 And a great celebration of Nora’s Birthday on 21 January!  

    
A highlight of December is when we are allowed to help so many others in the Middle East and other countries.  This year, our partners in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq/Kurdistan had special times together with children, their families, and gatherings.  These are unique times of the year when many conversations and openings occur in who Jesus is.  The children, of course, love the gifts … and always the parents are not far away, and hear of what Christmas is about.  Many doors are open!  Thanks immensely for being such an integral partner and provider in these special times in these countries!  

  

Nora and I are trusting the LORD to allow this year to be one of His overflowing into our lives in unique and special ways.  We together say with David the Psalmist, “my cup overflows” of the LORD’s goodness!!! 
Psalms 23:5b-6a
“my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,”  

 We are so grateful for you being alongside us in this great start into 2025!!!   

 & 
Daniel and Nora        

Dan and Nora’s personal GSA giving site, for online gifts, please CLICK below on the link or scan QRC above:  https://www.globalassociates.org/members/daniel-emig ❤️   😊     Donations mailing address noted on check: “for Daniel Emig”         Global Service Associates P.O. Box 20425  Boulder,  CO 80308-3425

an Emig family ‘NOW’ …           Each Christmas Season seems to get a wee bit better, in that we continue to slow down more and qualify our time with family and friends.  Western culture can sometimes lean contrary to these aims.  I can honestly say this Christmas was a gracious time together, with each of us taking those special times and spaces and places to make it so.      Yesterday morning in the men’s group I facilitated; a first aim was to create space and place for them to enter into personally, look back, and connect with 2024, with transparency in how it had more truly gone; and to more palpably enter into each other’s story of the year.  We have become an amazing group of men unafraid to love and do deep dives into each other’s journeys.  Equally, in doing so (or might I say BEING so), it intrinsically opens up their lives, and becomes an overflow outside the group into our dark and fragmented world of un-Believers and those in need of the Gospel that restores and heals, light.  What a beautiful gift of life I am gifted to live into!  Let me know if you’d like a copy of the outline we walked through.  🙂      As of last week, the Lord has brought on an 8th couple and organization to partner under FPI.  Mike Parks and I have worked alongside Wubshet and Habiba for many years now, and their solid work in Kenya is one we greatly admire, especially as we love this couple so much!  We look forward to better communicating to you their vision and expansive work, in this coming year.                This wrap-up of December ’24 has been filled with so much good, especially via the lives we support in countries we labor together in.  From protecting Joseph and Lydia Milan and family and co-workers, to shoes and motorcycles distributed, to clothing for children, to sewing machine training and distributions in parts of the world …. we have all partaken (you and us) of this marvelous expansion of God’s love to so many others.     As you and I glance into that rearview mirror and witness 2024 retreating into an ever-smaller image, let us glean well from that recent past, never negating all GOD would have us learn, and yet even moreso allow ourselves to gaze strongly and in all measure of trust and love in our LORD, into a future He desires us to be embedded in with all our hearts.  Proverbs 3:5 & 6 ESV “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”   This is also a time of 11th-hour trust for us to step out in faith and let you know of our resource needs as we all enter bravely 2025.  We have received several beautiful gifts so far in December.  Yet we also need to relate to you the need for almost $ 15,000 more in order for us to maintain personal financial support well into ’25.  We have a few hours left in the year for any tax-benefited gifts you might be praying over.  30-35% of our annual financial backing comes in between now and 11:59 pm tonight.  If your heart moves to help in this manner, simply click on the DONATION tab/link below or send funds via snail mail at the address below, postmarked today as you might need.    Dan, Nora and I thank you deeply for being alongside us in 2024!!!     &  Daniel and Nora                                      Our personal GSA giving site, for online gifts, please CLICK below on the link or scan QRC below (way down at the bottom):  https://www.globalassociates.org/members/daniel-emig noted on check: “for Daniel Emig”         Global Service Associates P.O. Box 20425  Boulder,  CO 80308-3425   You are essential and we give you thanks! Your friendship and prayer matter immeasurably. You are in all we are and do.  Serving in sustainable development, mentoring and spiritual co-journeying with others internationally and domestically …       I work to: – help assess villages and refugee camps – develop people & resources  – teach & further sustainable development  – train leadership  – co-journey with others in spiritual direction for their lives

https://www.facebook.com/share/v4QdYpWwyBCxBRFv/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://share.icloud.com/photos/024lVFOZt1nx5PAf-PRvDJ9sQ
So grateful this Christmas Eve, for Joseph and Saeed and family and team … as they give so much of their lives and resources to so many! They, in this short clip, represent so many others we love and are privileged to support and work alongside in increasing numbers of countries. Joyful Christmas Eve to you and yours!!! ❤️