Merry Christmas!  In just one week’s time our family will be getting on a plane to Scotland!  So much has happened since the last time we posted as we have spent the past 9 weeks in Virginia sitting under some amazing teaching, preparing us to move cross-culturally for the sake of the gospel. While we could write a book about all of the insights and strategies we have been equipped with, these past few months have also helped us grow in our appreciation for the “little things.”  We have been striving as a family to acknowledge all the unmerited favor of God in the subtleties of life and thought it would be fun to give you (apart from the obvious deep stuff) our top 5 Grace gifts we have experienced in this most recent season of life.  These are in no particular order and some of them are certainly less superficial than others. We hope you enjoy!

# 1 The Art of a Good Cup of Coffee- I (Patrick) have never been much of a coffee drinker. Basically I’ve always treated coffee as a last resort that should only be consulted during finals week or when operating heavy machinery on no sleep.  The past nine weeks of sitting, note taking, and getting the whole family out the door every morning at the same time (This is new to us!) has warranted some reconsideration.  In God’s good providence He surrounded me with new colleagues who are passionate about “the sweet morning juju.” I have been converted. Phrases like: “Hey you want to Chemex after this?” or “This gooseneck pour is so precise!” have become a part of everyday conversation.

# 2 New Friends-  Since leaving our sweet Mill City faith family back in the spring, we have struggled not having community.  There simply is no replacement for living in close knit relationship with others as you walk through the trials and triumphs of everyday stuff spurring each other on in the cross-centered life. It was so encouraging to be around so many other families who share our passion for taking the gospel to the nations.  Though loneliness and missing friends and family will continue to be a struggle moving forward, we are thankful for this season of new friendships and we truly believe that some lifelong bonds were forged.

# 3 Chocolate Cake- There is a particular chocolate cake produced by a vendor Erin often worked with while Pastry Chef at Umass Lowell that she reminisces about from time to time.  Desserts have not really been part of our life for the past few months, a reality that was beginning to take its toll on her. During our last week of training the president of our company called together a luncheon and, as a surprise, decided to put chocolate cake on the menu. But not just any chocolate cake!  Out they came with”Erin’s cake!”  It was a small but welcome reminder that we have a God who not only meets all our needs but graciously grants our wants as well.

# 4 She’s Potty Trained!- For Kinley’s 3rd Birthday she decided to give mommy and daddy the gift of not buying diapers anymore!

 # 5 Old Hymnals-Having been surrounded by talented and capable musicians throughout my time in ministry, it never occurred to me that people would look to me in our small group to decide how we would offer musical worship to the Lord.  With no guitar, or musical talent to speak of,  I was grateful to unearth a stack of old hymnals in one of the rooms on our campus.  Those dusty hymnals became so dear to us as we sang from them on a daily basis, making at the very least, a joyful noise!  I have since ordered a stack of hymnals for our family as we can’t imagine not singing from them together in the season ahead. If you would like to get your hands on a beautifully crafted, richly curated hymnal,  Hymns of Grace is a great resource that I would recommend to you.

 

That’s it for now!  Next time you hear from us it will be in the Old World!

Cheers!