December 2011
Dear Friends and Family,
I miss all of you!!!! Merry Christmas!!! Truth be told, I’ve been listening to Christmas music for weeks (it’s currently the middle of November). In Moldova we don’t even have the pre-Thanksgiving shopping extravaganza that happens in the US, so I can’t blame it on consumerism…I simply like this time of year.
We are already preparing Christmas songs and decorations with the kids. We will have a Christmas program for the kids that come regularly to the program and their parents in mid-December. I love to see the kids think about the birth of Jesus: such a humble manner of stepping into humanity to give us a second chance. I look forward to listening as my group of 3rd graders process and recount this old story, as often I receive a new perspective from them.
It has been a whirlwind year for us. We officially registered WMF Moldova (Asociația La VIA), the program grew to include tutoring with kids in the morning as well as activities in the afternoons, we hosted two servant teams, 3 interns served with us, we celebrated a wedding in our community, and the list goes on. As overwhelming as life seems day in and day out, I am amazed at what God has knit together here. We, as a team, are still learning how to best communicate and work together, but I feel that is a process as well. We have so much to be grateful for as we nestle in to Christmas.
At the same time I feel warmth and nostalgia for family, the reality remains that many of our kids will not have a family with which to spend the Christmas holiday. In a sense, those that remain at the boarding school over vacation take care of each other – they are each other’s family. That in itself is beautiful.
So as we gather with our families this year, let’s pray for these kids. Pray that they would know they are wanted and loved by the God-with-us, Emmanuel. I pray your Christmas season is also filled with the knowledge of this reality. Let’s face it, Christmas can be a really difficult time of year no matter what our nationality. I pray you (and I) would be able to love and be present to those closest to us this Christmas.
Creciun Fericit!
Much love,
Annie
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14