Had roast turkey with dressing, mashed potatoes, yams, peas, candied carrots, and lots of gravy… Yummy! But I’m glad it’s just once a year. It’s quite cold out, so we all just sat around our artificial fireplace, that doesn’t give off a whole lot of heat – but hey, it’s better than the fireplace channel on TV. I spent time baking lots of goodies with the help of Luke & Earl, so we had lots of fun and ate too much of what we baked. Now we have to walk it off, run it off, or do whatever we can to get it off our hips.
Enjoying Christmas Dinner
My helpers
Presents waiting to be opened.
Once again it was our joy to have Ruth & Royden join us, from Seattle. They come as often as they can, especially now since Royden’s father is not at all well. Please, pray for him if you remember. He is taking aggressive chemo treatments, so he doesn’t feel good most of the time, which reminds me of my great-niece in Edmonton, Erin Vanderbrink, who is also undergoing treatments for Hodgkin’s disease. She is also having some complications, and we’re concerned for her, and ask your prayer in her behalf, as well. She has a three-year-old and one-year-old, so you can imagine how difficult for her to cope.
Over Christmas, we also had John & Patti George and family, from Belize (missionaries from our church), and Jim & Beverly Flewwelling (Patti’s dad), over for a dinner and we just enjoyed our visit with them so much. We filled Christmas stockings for the girls and had such fun watching them opened them, but the only thing they really cared about were the dolls! John & Patti have a wonderful ministry in Belize and we’ve known Patti for many years.
Evangeline & Naomi George
Other family news, Lynn & Dwight just moved into their house in Mozambique. It’s unfinished, but already liveable, and somebody else was already waiting to move into the tiny guest cottage where they were living. Things are coming along well there. Murray, a cousin of Lynn’s, is there with them, as well as three other young people doing short term work, so life is certainly never down around there, as you can imagine. Their children, Amanda & Russell, stayed in Edmonton over Christmas and it was probably a good thing, because it was too cold and dangerous to be travelling that far. Amanda, as usual, aced all her exams in university, and her lowest grade was an A-. We are proud of her! She is going to take further course to get her teacher’s certificate. Russ works at the airport in Edmonton, for NAVCAN, and quite enjoys it. He is also planning to join the Navy and is quite excited about that. There he plans to continue his education, and that way the government will pay his tuition. So those two are working toward future goals.
Our Grandkids. Aren't they handsome!
Pat still has a lot of trouble with her back, and is on permanent disability now. She certainly can’t go back to work at Overwaitea, but she manages to keep herself busy. Earl & I have been reasonably well, but we both have to get cataracts removed as soon as we can get an appointment at the clinic. Luke keeps busy and comes over and helps us every Friday, so we stay caught up with our mission work. Earl plans to leave for Brazil on March 7th, and will be back on April 14th. He’s going alone this time, because we have plans to go to Mozambique in the late summer, and I don’t think I can handle two lengthily international trips in a year.
Royden & one of our other family members: Gizmo!
Until next time! We wish you all a Prosperous, Healthy, and Happy New Year!
