As we prepare to spend our first Christmas in the U.S. since 2010, knowing that many look forward to the festive gatherings, non-stop shopping, elaborate decorations and dramatically colder temperatures, Mary and I are most excited at the prospect of spending some quality family time with our grown daughters, Gennifer and Shelby, during the holiday season. This time of year reminds us of the importance of family as the God-ordained relational structure through which we grow into the people we are. It is where we learn how to love and be loved, how to forgive and be forgiven and how to fall down and get back up again. It is where we develop our value system, define our character and choose our path in life. It is where we are most comfortable to be ourselves, to share our struggles and to celebrate our joys. It is the anchor that connects us to something bigger than ourselves and doesn't allow us to drift too far from home.
Family is such an important social structure that God chose to send His son Jesus into the world not as a fully formed, single, independent man but as a tiny, helpless baby boy dependent on an earthly father and mother to nurture and care for his every need. To experience family in the most common, real sense of the word.
I feel we have sometimes lost sight of the blessing that family can be. And so this year we hope to recapture the sense of togetherness, of commitment to one another and of genuine, unconditional love that we often take for granted. To experience family the way that God intended; the way that Jesus lived it so many years ago. What a wonderful Christmas present that would be!
Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas
and blessed New Year,
Craig, Mary, Gennifer and Shelby
Prayer Requests and Praises
*Please pray for our family and our times together while we are stateside.
*Please pray for our Home Ministry Assignment (HMA); for rest and for opportunities to share ministry updates and raise ministry support.
*Please pray for the ministries and staff in Recife during our time on HMA.
*Prayers of praise and thanksgiving for all who partner with us in ministry.
*Prayers of Praise for an incredible 2017 in missions; for lives changed for His Kingdom, opportunities to share the gospel, purchase of mission property and SAM legal documents finalized. To God be the Glory!
"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." Luke 2:10-11
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