Here is our Christmas letter!
What a year 2006 has been for us... Many of you should be well aware of our many challenges, changes, moves and new experiences. We also want to share how abundantly God has blessed us this year.
This year has had a lot of adjusting: a new town, a small apartment, studying (tests and papers and fun), new friends, new jobs and pre-school for Gabriela. The adjustments have not always been easy, but there is no denying God’s blessings bestowed upon us.
Gabriela is now at pre-school three days a week in the mornings. She is loving it! She has been wanting to go to school since we were in Brasil and she saw other girls going to school. It is also a really nice pre-school run by a local Methodist Church. I like her teachers and she has numerous friends in her class. It does seem to wear her out, but her English is also improving and she just really enjoys it and does well. We are blessed that it is located so close to some good brasilian friends, which often pick her up from school to babysit. She also has some neat Korean kids as friends (children of Fares’ classmates) that she really enjoys playing with and getting way too much attention! She is not so much the little toddler anymore, but definitely a little girl and gaining more independence each day. It is good, but is a challenge all around on some days depending on what sort of independence she is wanting. She can also talk your ear off anymore and has become quite the artist.
Maria searched for a compatible professional job in Terre Haute, but did not have much luck. Each time something seemed promising or interesting, it fell through. For whatever reasons, God quite distinctly shut several doors. The one door that did open was a part-time day cashier position at Stein Mart. Though far from an ideal position (and very far from professional pay), it has been a blessing also. It is quite literally across the street from Gabriela’s school which is also near a friend’s house. This makes coordinating transportation of three people with one car a bit easier. The hours have been part-time (except recently with the holidays – it is retail) and during the day, and flexible when necessary. She finds the atmosphere mostly pleasant and the work is not terribly difficult. This has also allowed her the flexibility to accept the offer to do a really neat professional job on an “as needed” basis. This is doing social work with a health clinic that offers services to un- or underinsured pregnant women. It is the perfect marriage of her social work experience and passion for maternity issues. We are praying that this may provide an opportunity for a regular position in the near future if something becomes available.
Fares has gotten back into the swing of studying and has done well. He has made many good friends of his classmates, and gives us a sense of community as most live in the same complex as we do. He has also had the opportunity to teach English to several other students here, as well as a boy (and recently two new students) that live in Korea (he teaches them via the internet and gets reimbursed too!). Despite the early hours to teach them, he enjoys using his multimedia skills with his English teaching skills, and gets lots of practice for his newly chosen profession. He will also begin counseling part time after the first of the year to add to our income. He should graduate in December 2007 and once we know “what’s next” we will share with all!
Change is not easy, and our year has had nothing but changes. But God has been so faithful that I hope you will find faith and hope for yourselves also. Our timing has been guided by God’s timing and it is amazing at how well things have worked out. Little details like who will watch Gabriela and how will we get around with only one car have worked out wonderfully. Part of those solutions has been wonderful friends we have here. One family we knew before coming and they are such a blessing to us. The others we met once we arrived and they too are wonderful blessings to us, as well as new friends. Financially too, it would seem very difficult, but again, God has stayed the course and so have our finances.
God is amazing and works in mysterious, wondrous ways. Such as sending His Son as a baby, born to a virgin… to be our Savior. May He bless you and yours, as He continues to bless ours. Merry Christmas!
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