LAKE FOREST, CA (ANS) -- Dear friends: Greetings to you all from Norma and myself.

Some of you may remember the song “It Never Rains in Southern

Snow on the Grapevine, just outside of Los Angeles (Photo: LA Times)

California”, written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood. It was the title of a song first released by the English born singer-songwriter in 1972. Hammond's version became a hit worldwide, peaking at #5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 that year.

Well, I can tell you that it does rain in Southern California and last night it bucketed down and this morning we woke up to the beautiful scene of the local mountains covered in a thick blanket of snow.

What an amazing part of the world this is, with snow on the mountains, the Mojave Desert close by and miles and miles of beautiful beaches. We feel blessed to have moved her from London back in 1982, though the rain did bring back memories of life back in the UK.

I want to thank all of you who contributed to the story about the expressions that are constantly used in the media, and now I want to seek your input for the story I wrote called Why Brother Andrew wanted to be a failure. Could you check it out at http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2009/s09120026.htm and then send me your comments of how a huge failure in your own life was turned around for God’s glory. My e-mail is: danjuma1@aol.com.

Year End Giving

I know that many of you are prayerfully considering where to make a special end of the year gift and so I would ask you to please remember us at ANS. As many of you know, we are an all-volunteer ministry, meaning that none of us receive a salary and so we are dependent on friends like yourself to keep us bringing you the many stories into your inbox each day.

Norma and I have not received a salary now for 20 years and this has been an exciting and challenging experience for us as we are now both in our late 60s. I gave up a well-paid job in London many years ago to launch out into helping publicize the plight of our suffering brothers and sisters and have not regretted for one minute that decision.

During the past few weeks, donations have dropped dramatically after a period where so many of you rallied around and helped us through our crisis. We did appreciate those of you who helped and so now we are asking you again to please consider an end of the year donation to take us into the New Year with all of its challenges as persecution of Christians seems to get worse by the day.

So, if you can help, all you have to do is to send a one-off gift or enroll to help with a gift each month by going to: www.assistnews.net/assist/donations.htm or you can mail a check to ASSIST, PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609, USA. You can designate your gift to “Where Needed Most” or to the personal support of Norma and myself.

In return, I would like to send you a complimentary copy of my autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth.” Just send me an e-mail at danjuma1@aol.com after you have made your gift and request the book along with your name and mailing address, and I will get it right off to you. This also applies to our overseas friends! If you want to know more about the book and my rather strange life, go to www.fromtabloidtotruth.com.

Front Page Radio

Sisther Esther preaching at her own wedding (Photo: Dan Wooding)

I also wanted to let you know that on Sunday (December 13, 2009) at 5:00 PM (Pacific Time), on KWVE 107.9 FM, my special guests on Front Page Radio are American, Brother Eugene, and his Chinese-born wife, Sister Esther, who was a house church leader in China until she moved to the United States. She caused a sensation at her own wedding in China when she took over the microphone after the wedding ceremony and preached the Gospel in her wedding dress for 45 minutes. It was then that her own mother publicly gave her life to Christ. The couple talk on the show about their ministry back to China from Southern California and how Sister Esther conducts a daily Bible study for many Chinese via the Internet.

If you don’t live in the area, you can hear the program on www.kwve.com or on our website – www.assistnews.net -- and then click on "Listen to Front Page Radio".

Again, a huge thank you for your kind support and blessings to you all from Norma and myself!

Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST and ANS

Dan Wooding, 68, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 46 years. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC., and now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California and which is also carried on the Calvary Radio Network throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK. Wooding is the author of some 43 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, also recently released “God’s Ambassadors in Japan” which is available at amazon.com.