As we approach the end of 2008 the sights and sounds of the Christmas season mingle with the sounds bites of news and pundits' talk of bailouts, the aftermath of acts of terror, and an upcoming and historic inauguration. During the season until Christmas I find it to be a nostalgic and introspective time, and I am often reminded of the quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, "The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, who look forward to something greater to come."

It is quite possible that at the close of 2008 there are many, more than ever, who feel themselves to be troubled in spirit and who long for a better time, a better place. As I spoke last week in Canada on the wonder of Christmas, I asked the audience, "Who is Jesus and do you know Him?" He is the hope and the answer to our longing, a little baby who was the culmination of the promise for something greater, for something better. And so amidst turbulent times and questions about what is to come, we know what ultimately is to come and so we hope. For those of you who especially feel troubled in soul, perhaps poor in spirit, we at RZIM wanted to use this email to encourage your hearts-to remind you that even in great uncertainty in our world, God is ever present, working, and lives are being changed.

The speaking team is completing a hectic year of travel and speaking, and the staff is hard at work bringing the labor of the year to a close. But as we prepare for the new year ahead and all the unprecedented opportunities in store for the sharing of the Gospel, rather than share recent reports of meetings we thought we would share some snippets of stories from those who have been touched by the ministry this year. We recently received a note from a gentleman who wrote, "Someone who didn't know me invested in me by giving to RZIM and I became a Christian at 46 years old."

We want you to know the impact of your friendship with this ministry. It has truly changed lives and we along with those who have been changed are enormously grateful to you. For many ministries right now the needs are great and ours is no different, but we are so thankful for how you have come alongside this ministry, many times in great faith and sacrifice, and we want you to know that hearts and minds are changed because of it.

May the Lord bless you this season and in the coming year. We look forward to the journey of 2009 together in anticipation of all the Lord has in store for us. Merry Christmas and thank you for your friendship with us.

Engaging Today's Culture with RZIM:

• 2008 Christmas Offer
  
  RZIM's Christmas Offer is now available. There is still time to purchase before Christmas! This offer features wonderful products from our team including the last four Foundations of Apologetics Curriculum DVD's with messages from Ravi Zacharias, John Lennox, Michael Ramsden, and Stuart McAllister. Also included in this offer is Ravi Zacharias's keynote address from the 2008 National Day of Prayer, Amy Orr-Ewing's new book Is Believing in God Irrational?, and the beautiful leather accented 2009 Inspirational Daily Planner.
  
  Receive Stuart McAllister's compelling documentary Gifts in a Holy Land free with every purchase and 10% off every purchase of $50 or more.
  
  Please visit 2008 Christmas Offer to view the entire offer.
• RZIM on the Road!
  
  See Ravi Zacharias and John Lennox in Atlanta, GA!
  
  Ravi Zacharias and John Lennox will be speaking at the Atlanta Civic Center on February 26, 2009. Join RZIM for a thought-provoking evening as Ravi Zacharias addresses the intellectual assumptions of atheism while contrasting the validity of the Christian faith in his special message "Is Faith Delusional?" This unique message promises to inspire, answer questions, and provide an opportunity to dialogue about today's most important questions. Question & Answer session to follow this message. Visit http://www.ticketmaster.com for your tickets or visit Atlanta Civic Center event for more information.
• See Ravi Zacharias and Michael Ramsden in Costa Mesa, CA!
  
  Join Ravi Zacharias for his special message "Need God? What If I Don't?" as he explains why God is more than a psychological crutch for the weak-minded and why success and independent living fade in comparison to knowing the eternal Truth found in God. Michael Ramsden will join Ravi Zacharias for a special Question and Answer session after the message. If you had the chance to fill a void in your life that prosperity and accomplishments can never fill, or to bring a friend who struggles with God or faith, would you take that opportunity? Attend this free event at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa on January 16, 2009 at 7pm. You can find more information here. Child care will be provided.

Where in the World is RZIM? Highlights from across the globe...

"There are many days in which I quite simply do not want to go on. My son's needs, the constant financial pressure, the maelstrom of disappointment of shattered dreams, my constant battle with depression, the aching loneliness, the fear of one day when my little boy dies - it all threatens to utterly devour my faith. Pain has a way of subtly eroding the supports of belief until sometimes I do not remember why I believe. Your website (and the books I have by Dr. Zacharias & others) give me reasons to believe that are outside of my feelings or my personal experience. I have found that by listening to Just Thinking and Let My People Think, the power of truth gives me the impetus to keep going, to keep trusting that somehow, although it's really dark right now, God is faithful and He can be trusted. I have prayed that He might not waste my pain, but that I can one day comfort others with the sanity and conviction I believe He alone can give. I also know that the only way I can be a witness to the medical staff around me (I have nurses who help me at home) is to live out my faith honestly and to deal with pain authentically. I long for them to know God too - and I know they are watching my life... your resources are my oxygen. Thank you."

"Upon reflection it has become apparent that I approached the whole area of apologetics with the wrong attitude, giving it an air of 'academic stuffiness' that is not only unnecessary, but entirely unhelpful. It was as a result of your efforts and willingness to serve Christ that I encountered the joy of engaging both heart and mind for Christ in a 'truer' sense. The significance of your work will stretch much further than our week in Oxford and be fully applied in all of my own undertakings, some of which may, with the grace of God, further equip others to be transformation for this world. Thank you ever so much."

"It seems we are growing the evangelists quite young here. Some weeks ago while my daughter and I were driving together, she pulled up the CD holder in the car. I asked her, 'Which music do you want to hear?' My daughter, who is 3 yrs and 10 months old shot back, 'I want to hear Ravi Zacharias!' and with that she whipped out the CD titled, 'Why I am not an atheist'!"

As a staff we ask for protection for our team who seems to be constantly on the move. Most recently we experienced God's grace in protecting Michael Ramsden as he traveled in India during the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Our team in India reports, "We praise God for the meetings we had with Michael Ramsden in Delhi and Chandigarh. We want to really praise God for protecting Michael from great danger in the Mumbai trip (which he cancelled); he was booked in the same Oberoi Hotel where as many as 40 people were killed." Instead, Michael went on to other meetings in the region preaching at several venues on the uniqueness of Jesus and an aptly titled message, "Can We Find Peace in a Troubled World?"

We thank you for your prayers that surround the team as they travel to sometimes difficult locations. And we ask you to pray especially for those friends who had loved ones caught in the violence that occurred in Mumbai this month.

Our Canadian team just concluded two key events: "Capture the Wonder of Christmas," which drew crowds of about 2500 to hear Ravi Zacharias, and "Believing Is Seeing" at Grace Montreal Church with Andy Bannister and Rachel Tulloch. These timely events drew people back to the true meaning of Christmas and encouraged them to share the joy found in the Gospel. View an article detailing "Believing Is Seeing" including Andy Bannister's sermon and a short video by clicking here.

"I am an Iraqi pastor serving the Lord in an Iraqi church in Damascus. I read most of your books and watched most of your DVDs, and admire your ministry a lot. All that I want to say is we need a Middle East Ravi Zacharias. I am ready to be that person here in our Arab culture, which is starting to become either extremely Islamic or new age. I don't need to go to America to be that person, I don't need money, I don't need scholarship or any other thing. I just need required books that you see appropriate and some instructions for how to develop my gift in apologetics."

"I am an American living in Turkey, married to a national believer and we attended Michael's seminar tonight in Istanbul. The church was filled with no room to spare. I just wanted to say that we were all very blessed to have Michael share and challenge the body here in Turkey. The church in Turkey is slowly beginning to grow as you know. I really feel as though having challenging seminars such as this one will not only draw in believers who are eager to learn how to practically reach out to their Muslim community but also strengthen and inspire the body to do more for Christ- which is a great need here. I realize you have much on your schedules, but I just wanted to send a note to let you know that Turkey was blessed tonight because you came. Thank you!"

"Doors are opening all around us. I am so grateful for the support given to us in this time of chosen opportunities. Below is a sketch of one such threshold awaiting us to cross.

The vision to reach and train-up a body of cultural influencers and leadership is rather a tall order for a team of one in this new region, especially when you are standing in the foyer of a large house with more than 1.3 billion people. It is humbling to watch the Lord usher us into Greater China with clarity and purpose. In these early days, we can already see a beautifully crafted design, deftly laid by the hand of the Grand Weaver.

A confluence of careful planning and "chance" encounters have set us up to begin a new phase of work in apologetics with significant members of leadership. I am reminded that at every turn, there's great value in simply being available, asking questions and inviting people in, since this is how the pieces of this particular unique puzzle came together.

Several months ago, before our Hong Kong base was established, I agreed to a long journey from Oxford, for a short trip to Guangxi Province. The purpose was to visit an orphanage for special needs children run by a Chinese sister in Christ whose life work is to the cause of the fatherless. We were a band of several friends, journeying together to encourage, serve, and get a first-hand look at a groundbreaking new work with HIV orphans. The impressions from that trip continue to linger as I revere the eloquent presence of God among these special orphaned children.

Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I ask questions quite naturally like a menacing reporter. For the quiet Chinese traveler sitting next to me on the plane ride after our orphanage stay, this would be his brand new discovery. I learned that he was a pharmaceutical inventor from Hong Kong who, after many years of scientific skepticism and hardness of heart toward Jesus, had recently accepted Christ as Savior. He also told me that I should meet his sister whom he said had, "God's calling on her." In fact, she was in the midst of leaving an otherwise secure executive life and preparing to enter seminary, in order to serve in China.

With that, he exclaimed, "I never thought I'd meet another Christian on a flight from Nanning to Hong Kong!" In fact, he was surrounded by them! There is not the time or space to write about this man's sister, a special woman of God whom I trust will keep in contact through her years of ministry training. Through her, I gained exposure to her Chinese evangelical church in Hong Kong where thousands worship each week- praying, praising, teaching and preaching in both Cantonese and Mandarin.

From this light-filled church, I was inspired to invite one of its pastors to a gathering during Ravi's fall visit. Ravi shared the vision of RZIM HK and voiced a special condition that, in order to sustain ongoing, effective ministry, our work would necessarily include the support and partnership of the local church. Recently, I received a call from the pastor, asking RZIM to come and teach at a large gathering of unique leaders. He said there's need for intense worldview and apologetics training, as this region combats waves of false teaching and heresy. We are preparing for this with a hope that we can make a deep and long-lasting commitment to this particular people.

This invitation carries a tremendous reach where we are called to serve. As God wills and provides, this will be the first of ongoing training, involving many of our gifted team members. I hope it would be so, because this is what RZIM does best.

I firmly believe we are in the midst of divine orchestration. How would you otherwise account that the children would lead us to a brother, whose sister would take us to her pastor, whose church would invite us in, and open doors to where we are called." ~Grace Lee

Please know that we are here to serve you in any way that we can. Feel free to contact us by phone at (770) 449-6766 or via our website, www.rzim.org.

God bless you,

If you're interested in learning more about making a gift to support the ministry of RZIM or learning more about various unique gift opportunities through gift annuities, Estate Planning, or stock gifts, please contact Jeanette Chuquiure at (800) 448-6766 or click here if you would like to donate online.