Saturday, December 31, 2011

Church visits and Christmas

White Christmas

We are enjoying a white Christmas here in Denver. As in Congo, Christmas is about the Christ Child. We sing with the angels the arrival of the Prince of Peace and the Good News of Hope for our world. God showed his love to us by becoming one of us and identifying with us in every way. God is with us. Hallelujah!!

Family time

It is good to stop for moments after a whirlwind fall. We returned to the States on the 18th of September. A flight on the 30th brought us to Seattle to meet new members of the family. Andrew married Judy in August. She is Taiwanese and also holds a Canadian passport. Judy‘s has just finished her Master’s degree in art therapy. Her parents, Charles and Lois (western names) flew in from Taiwan and China so we could all get acquainted. Charles had worked for Lever Brothers for 20 years and knew his way around North America and food. Going out to restaurants with them was a wonderful experience. Their son, Nelson, also lives in Seattle doing his medical residency at the University of Washington. We are so thrilled for the increase in our family and these wonderful people God has brought into our lives.

Visits to 38 churches

We flew back to Denver on the 5th of October to begin driving on the 7th to itinerate in our supporting churches. This trip took us 7,000 miles to Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. In all, we did 63 presentations in 38 different churches. Some of the churches we were in have been supporting the work in Congo for over 60 years going back to Lori’s parents. One church was our first covenanting church and saw us off 33 years ago with a one year old. What a blessing to have church communities standing behind you with such faithfulness. We are most blessed.

Thanksgiving break

We did take a week break at Thanksgiving to fly back to Denver. Andrew, Judy and Amber came in from Seattle so we could celebrate together with Michelle, Jeff and Elliot. David preformed the wedding of Amber’s best friend that weekend in Colorado Springs.

Congolese elections

The Congolese presidential election has just taken place. The Supreme Court has declared Kabila the winner and has inaugurated him for a second term. However, the European Union and the Carter Center have declared that there were anomalies in the election process. The opposition has claimed victory and has inaugurated its own candidate. Pray for a peaceful resolution.

We pray the Lord’s richest blessings for you and your families for the coming year.