A Christmas Letter from Roger and Cherie Hanggi,
Serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators

Celebrating God’s Amazing Love

 “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  — Luke 2:10-12

Do not be afraid!  This has been a message that God has spoken to His people hundreds of times throughout the Old and New Testaments—to Abraham, then Moses, the Israelites on the way to the promised land, Joshua, kings and prophets; now to Mary and Joseph and shepherds; then to the disciples and followers of Jesus, to Paul, and to all the church.  In each case, the reason for this courage is the same:  God is with us, He will never leave us or forsake us.  I cannot think of a more powerful reason for courage and hope in the face of a difficult life than the message of Christmas.  God knows our struggles and brokenness and sins.  Yet instead of despising us, He chooses in love to be a part of our world and our lives, to be our Savior, and to proclaim forevermore the promise of Immanuel, God is with us.

“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”    — Matthew 2:2

This too is our story.  Knowing that God is always with us in this world and our lives, we still see signs and evidence of His lordship, sovereignty, and most of all His love and grace.  No, we no longer see the great star that testified to Jesus’ birth and entrance into our world.  Instead, we celebrate that hope and future that God promised.  We are surrounded by a Christian family—brothers and sisters who in faith are a wonderful part of our lives.  We have experienced God’s faithful provision as he gives all that we need for this life—sometimes through work and wages, sometimes in unexpected ways, and sometimes through the amazing generosity of others.  Perhaps most of all, we have seen God’s grace and mercy that continues to love and use us even when we are weak.  To all of this, our response remains the same:  We too have come to worship Him.  We too celebrate Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior.  We too desire to make Christ known to the world.

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.  — John 1:12-13

What an amazing truth!  We are children of God and heirs of eternal life.  But much as Christmas has become of season of sharing gifts, this gift of life and faith in Jesus is not something that we dare keep for ourselves.  It is the greatest gift ever and it is intended to be shared.  So we reflect how we can share this gift with our families and neighbors and world.  I also want to testify that you, through your prayers and love and support, are part of bringing God’s Word and story to the world.   Believing in Jesus is not an individual achievement, but rather an opportunity shared by many.  In the same way, being part of God’s mission is something that we share.

This Year in Summary

At the end of another year, we remember and thank God and you for the blessings of this year.

• Bryan continues to work for Google, and continues to thank God for his work and his church family in California.
• Michelle is in her first year of a graduate program in intercultural mediation. So her next two years will include study in France, Belgium, and Mexico.
• Cherie is pretty stretched by her work as a nurse in two schools. Twelve hundred kids, plus teachers and sometimes family needs is an ongoing challenge for her.
• My work with Wycliffe is now in its 23rd year. When we left Cameroon, it was not a retreat from missions.  Instead, my work is now focused on global opportunities and I see the greatest impact of this work in the growing cooperation of many mission organizations as we increasing work together—each doing its part–to bring the Bible to all people groups and languages.
• It has been a tough year for my health, with multiple surgeries and procedures. The good news is that this has not limited my ability to work–in missions, our church, and being part of a now international discipleship program through Faithwalking.

Thank you to an amazing team of partners who have faithfully supported us with prayers and so much sacrificial giving.
You truly are partners in the joy of bringing God’s Word to the nations.

Regular updates of our lives and work through Wycliffe is available through an online website.  You can go to the website:  www.rchanggi.info and click on any of the update articles since May.  I discovered that the email reminders (when a new update is posted) are not working.  So I will send emails with all updates in the future.  If you are able to receive updates and news by email, please send me an email  at roger_hanggi@sil.org.  If you are not able to use email or internet, I will continue to send updates by mail.

Thank you for your wonderful interest, prayers, support, and love
as we work together in God’s mission!

Roger and Cherie Hanggi

Roger and Cherie Hanggi, working with Wycliffe Bible Translators

Email: roger_hanggi@sil.org    Mail:  320 Melody Lane, Duncanville TX  75116     Phone: (214) 298-2806