I know we are mid way through January but I still feel the greeting is applicable. There is a lot of chatter about “blue January” and “blue Monday” but I refuse to get on board. January is probably my favorite month of the year. There is nothing on the calendar, no holidays to speak of. It’s cold (que the fireplace) it’s dark early (again que the fireplace). January is a time to rest our bodies and restore our souls. It’s almost like a Sabbath month, time to slow down after the busyness of the last 2 months. It’s also a great time to reflect over the past year and look forward in grateful anticipation to what the Lord will do through our willingness and availability to serve Him. Now, que John 
Happy January!
It’s funny, I like January too because it means spring is just around the corner! Also, January generally brings a slower pace, which, as I get a little older, I’m starting/trying to appreciate and enjoy.
I’ve been fortunate to stay consistently busy with work since last March, and I’m very thankful for it. In addition to my job, weekly bible study meetings begin to pick back up after a bit of a slowdown over the holidays.
Back before Christmas, I was meeting someone at a coffee shop in Cardiff to study Ephesians. Not long after we started, a young man who had been watching us approached and asked, “Are you discussing the Bible?” When I said yes, he asked if he could join us because he had questions. We ended up talking for about 30 minutes. During our conversation, he asked where I was from and why I was inCardiff. It was interesting to tell him that I was here to do exactly what I was doing—meeting people and studying the Bible with them. As we continued, I asked if he was interested, and he said, “Absolutely.” We’ve met twice since, and I invited him to a Wednesday night group we started in December.
On Wednesday nights, the guys come over for dinner and enjoy some of Niki’s good cooking before we study the Bible. It’s been great meeting with this new group of guys. However, it’s going to be challenging for them to stick with it. This group of six or seven comes from very diverse backgrounds, including some who have served time in prison. The cares of the world and the work of the evil one are trying to keep these men away. Please pray that they’ll be able to overcome the challenges and stay committed.
We really enjoyed the holidays this year with Sara and Suzy here with us. Suzy had originally planned to spend Christmas with us but has now decided to stay until the end of May! She called back at Thanksgiving and we encouraged her to take a semester off from school and stay for a while. She agreed! We’re thrilled to have the two youngest Rogers girls here with us and feel so thankful for this time together.
We hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season, and as always we thank you for your prayers and your support!
Romans 15:13
John and Niki Rogers
