Our time in the States is passing all too quickly. Just after the new year, we will be on a plane back to Haiti to prepare for an MFI team that’s coming in at the end of that week. We are enjoying a very mild Christmas here in North Carolina. Last year, we had a white Christmas and were outside hurling snowballs at each other. This year, the sun is out and the temperature is in the 60s. For us, who live most of the year in the tropics, this is wonderful!

Deb drove in from West Virginia yesterday and Gabe flew across the country from Portland, Oregon, arriving last night. John will be driving in on Friday from Asheville, making the family circle complete. Family reunions are always special to missionary families. In the light of last week’s events, we will be cherishing our time with our children even more, longing to keep them here with us a little longer. I shared in an earlier post that Gabe was in the Clackamas Mall in Portland with some friends just last week when the fatal shooting took place there. Gabe heard the gunfire, but was one of the fortunate ones evacuated to safety that day. Sadly, two shoppers lost their lives. We give thanks for the simple fact that Gabe is here with us during this Christmas season.

Deb is now a bona fide college graduate! She has completed her degree in Psychology at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. We are very proud of her. We ask your prayers for her now while she is joining many others in looking for a job.