INT'L NEWSLETTER, Christmas 2012

December 2012

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1: 1-5

The President's Letter

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of the Tres Dias Communities around the world!

That greeting--especially the phrase "around the world"--has

Bruce Cato, President TDI Secretariat

a special meaning this year. In September, we held our Assembly in Korea and had a wonderful time visiting with the people there and hearing about how Tres Dias is enriching the lives of friends half way around the world. (See sidebar at right, and click the video link.)

A short while later, the International Secretariat met in Connecticut, where we enjoyed the company of friends from there and from across the United States, with one visitor from Europe, another from Peru. In both Korea and Connecticut, we heard wonderful praise reports, and also reports of struggle. But even those who were facing hardship were giving God the glory and lifting up praise for Christ Jesus.

It always amazes me how the message of Grace, as taught in the 15 Rollos and 5 meditations, crosses all boundaries and brings the message of hope, regardless of the circumstances. Even across vastly different environments, the truth of the Love of Jesus reaches us all.

I am praying you have a blessed Christmas season and that you and your

family celebrate the birth of our Savior in joy and peace. For those who are dealing with damage from the storms--the literal storms such as damaged the East Coast of the United States as well as the figurative "storms of life"--I am praying a special blessing over you that you will experience a supernatural peace and soon be restored in health, wealth, and wholeness.

I composed the message you have just read about one week before the Newtown, CT, tragedy. When the news broke that morning, I thought about the storms of life and how we deal with them. Then the Holy Spirit prompted my memory of the song "It Is Well With My Soul," penned by Horatio Spafford in 1873, and the story behind the song. The passage below, taken from Wikipedia, tells that story, and the words of the hymn follow:

This hymn was written after several traumatic events in Spafford's life. The first was the death of his only son in 1871 at the age of four, shortly followed by the great Chicago fire, which ruined him financially. In a late change of plans for a visit to Europe, he sent his family ahead while he stayed home to deal with a business issue. While crossing the Atlantic their ship sank rapidly after a collision with another sea vessel, and all four of Spafford's daughters died. Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.

"It Is Well With My Soul"

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

When the storms of life attend your way, remember what Christ said, "In this world you will have trouble, but I have overcome the world!"

God bless and have a wonderful Christmas because God is still on the throne and Christ sits at His right hand ever interceding for you and me!

In Christ,

Bruce Cato

Also in this Issue

An "interactive" Google Map of Chartered and Emerging Tres Dias Communities Worldwide (Find your community; have fun playing with the map)

A special welcome to approximately 200 new readers (see the note from the editor, below). Invite others to subscribe.

The dance performances at the Korean Assembly were one of many expressions of the unity Christians around the world experience.

This interpretation of The Lord's Prayer was especially memorable.

(click image to view the video)

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 (NIV)

Chartered and Emerging Tres Dias Communities Around the World

The link below will take you the actual Google map from which these images were taken.

You can expand the map to get a closer view of a particular community's geographic location.

To find the name of the community, simply click the pin marker and a box with the name and contact information will appear. Note that the markers for the Korean communities are bunched together. The marker at Seoul expands to list eight communities.

Below the map (scroll all the way down, past the images) is a listing of locations and contact information.

Try it and see!

Link to Map of Tres Dias Communities Worldwide

From the Editor

As put the finishing touches on this issue, I can't help but marvel--with awe and humility--at what will happen after I save the file and push a few computer keys. Within a very short time, people from across the US and from around the world--Peru, Denmark, Ukraine, Russia, and Korea--among many other places--will be reading Bruce's message and looking at the map of Tres Dias locations worldwide.

I love that map. It was created several years ago by Ned Heffington, chair of the services committee on the International Secretariat. Each of those pins is a community, like yours, like mine, and together they form a global community of Christians working together to build the Lord's kingdom. What a blessing to be a part of this global reach of God's love and mercy!

With this issue we welcome approximately 200 new readers, individuals who have served as leaders in one of those communities or as international delegates in recent years, but were not in the "current leaders and delegates" database.

Here are two requests of the newcomers. Because this issue is shorter than usual, I invite you to read other issues published this year, to get a feeling for what we hope to accomplish with the newsletter. This link will take you to the archives on the Tres Dias web site. Second, I invite you help us develop content for future issues. We are specially interested in sharing "best practice" stories---examples of how a community has been exceptionally effective in some aspect of the Tres Dias method (reunion groups, pastor involvement, recruiting candidates, etc.).

Along others on the services committee of the TDI secretariat, I pray for an abundance of blessings for you and your families during this most blessed time of year.

In Christ,

Don Bohl.

Editor

The Colors of Tres Dias International is prepared by the Services Committee of the Tres Dias International Secretariat. Ned Heffington serves as committee chair as well as associate editor for this publication. Send responses to newsletter@tresdias.org

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