Newsletter   I   DECEMBER 2003

DEDICATION This year’s Christmas Banquet is lovingly dedicated to the memory of Ruby Stonebraker who with her husband, P. D. Stonebraker, loved and served Internationals for almost 43 years. We will miss her wonderful sunshine smile and presence. She showed us what the love of God truly meant in daily living. Surely every International who ever met her will always feel that she was a dear mother and many called her “Mom Ruby.” She made you believe that the love of Jesus was real. She made you want to be a true Christian. Ruby and P. D. Stonebraker Ruby E. Stonebraker Born - August 7, 1922;  went home to be with Jesus - June 2, 2003 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. (Proverbs 11:30)

LETTER FROM THE ISF DIRECTOR Very cordial “Yule time” (Christmas) greetings to you and yours! Christmas is a special time when we re-emphasize the “Good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people (all Internationals). For unto you (for all nations) is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord.” We look forward to the Thirty-Seventh Annual ISF Christmas Banquet on December 5th, 2003 at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall). We wish to commemorate this wonderful Christmas season with you, our beloved International family. At this event we usually have 500 or more in attendance from up to 40 different countries. For over fifty-two years my wife and I have labored among precious Internationals. This will be my first Christmas without my dear wife, Ruby, by my side. I miss her so much but she is in Heaven where she can now see Jesus, the glorified Christ in whose birth we now rejoice. I thank you all for your condolences, your love and your prayers this past year. You, my cherished International family, have consoled and helped me in so many ways. I thank you! May God richly bless you and give you a meaningful blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!                                                                                                                      P. D. Stonebraker

Tyler Jenson Young Our first grandchild LETTER FROM THE ISF ASSISTANTS Dear International Friends, For many years now we have celebrated Christmas Day. It never fails to be a wonderful time of visiting with our family and friends. This year we became grandparents for the first time so it will be an extra special celebration that we will have. Of course, along with the celebration of Christmas there is the baking of cookies, making special foods, decorating our home, buying presents, special Church services and finally the big day of Christmas arrives. We often think of you with many fond memories of the times we shared with you either at our International Student gatherings or in our home. Over the years we have received many beautiful gifts at Christmas but none of them can compare with the gift of friendship that we have received from you. It would be wonderful to see you again in person but since that is not possible at this Christmas season, we want to take this time to wish you a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. Over the years for many, Christmas has become simply a winter holiday. All the activities of the season have left out the real meaning of Christmas for many people. Christmas for us is celebrating the greatest gift ever given by God. It is a time when we stop to consider the most wonderful gift anyone ever received. It is the gift God gave when He sent His precious and only Son into this world to become one of us so that He might die for us that we could receive the gift of eternal life. Our prayer then for you is that you will experience this wonderful gift in your own personal life. Christmas can never really be what it was meant to be until it happens deep down in your heart.                                                                                                                      Your friends,                                                                                                                      Terry & Pam