Dear ACOP Family,
Where we live Christmas is not celebrated—so it makes Christmas even more special for us!
It is not about the gifts, but, about the Reason for the Season. We have put up our tree and we have started to decorate our apartment, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! The music’s been playing for a while now, and we know exactly where to get a nice warm drink.
Joy comes in the everyday. Seeing our daughter so thrilled about Christmas and having team members coming to visit for the holidays. It comes in blessing the ones who have nothing and are struggling to make ends meet. It comes in the moments where we can encourage and pray for those who are lost and hurting. And it comes in having Christmas with locals here who have never celebrated Christmas before.
The Christmas story shows us how Mary trusted what the angel had told her and even though she was afraid, and probably confused and overwhelmed, she was obedient.
Christmas is a time that can be very difficult for families and I feel that this year more than ever. We have been away from our children and grandchildren for 5 Christmases now—it is very difficult to be away. Please pray for us as a family, for restoration and healing…
In reading an encouraging devotional about the Psalms—I learned that we can have praise for God and then we can have ecstatic praise for him. There are different levels of praise. Very cool!
We would really enjoy seeing snow at Christmas and in our stockings—dark chocolate and peanut butter. As this special time of year approaches, we as a family, look forward to opening up one gift on Christmas Eve and on Christmas morning we’ll eat cinnamon pull-aparts.
We wish you the Merriest Christmas!