As you may be able to tell from the lack of posts, life was a little busy at the end of 2014. But, I wanted to share some of the highlights with you, as well as the things that I'm looking forward to in this new year.
Probably the most exciting news is the arrival of this little guy.
My second nephew, Grahm Michael, was born on Sunday, November 16. I was able to Skype with the whole family just a few short hours after his birth. And, though I have yet to meet him in person, I'm pretty excited about being an aunt again. Hopefully, I don't have to wait too long until I can meet him in person though!
December brought the end of my first quarter at Fuller Seminary. It was an intense quarter (in part because it's been such a long time since I've been in school), but I feel like I learned a lot. Not only were the classes interesting, but they are applicable to my life and work as both a missionary and a Regional Representative. After a 3 week break that included the holidays, classes began again this past Monday. I must admit that the break was so nice, it's been a little hard to motivate myself to start being studious again. :) This quarter's classes include "the Practice of Worship and Prayer" and "Transforming Contemporary Cultures." If this first week is any indication, I'm in for another interesting and enjoyable quarter!
Christmas time was filled with multiple gatherings, good food and relaxation. I was able to attend a Christmas party of friends from church. We even had a White Elephant gift exchange! It brought up many memories of family gatherings over the years (though there weren't any dolls included...). It was a lot of fun, and in the end, I walked away with a nice candle from Ikea.
The Sunday before Christmas, I attended an afternoon Christmas service. It was a bi-lingual service, so I was able to sing one or two Christmas songs in English. That's one of the things I miss most about being in another country over Christmas...the Christmas carols and the Christmas Eve candlelight service that my church always has.
Brittany (my teammate) and I were able to spend the 24th with the same friends that hosted the Christmas party, hanging out and simply enjoying their company. Though we didn't partake of traditional foods (they had just moved into their flat), we did have a wonderful day of conversation and getting to know each other more.
The next day, I hosted a small gathering of other Americans who were in Prague for Christmas. We made and enjoyed some yummy Mexican food. Maybe not your typical fare, but delicious nonetheless.
I ended 2014 by visiting some friends (and fellow EMM workers) in Wales. This brought a much needed time of rest and relaxation for me, allowing me to catch my breath. We didn't really have any kind of agenda, simply to relax and enjoy each other's company. It was wonderful! I was blessed to be able to join them for those 9 days!
As I look ahead to 2015, I'm not sure what to expect. But what I know is this...I know there will be times of joy and times of hardship. I know that 2015 will include lesson planning and a lot of reading and writing papers. I know that there will be days where I feel like I can speak Czech and days where no matter how had I try I simply can't get the right words out. But most importantly, I know that whatever happens, God is good. Blessings upon each of you as you journey into this new year!
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| (photo credit: Laurie Nofziger) |
My second nephew, Grahm Michael, was born on Sunday, November 16. I was able to Skype with the whole family just a few short hours after his birth. And, though I have yet to meet him in person, I'm pretty excited about being an aunt again. Hopefully, I don't have to wait too long until I can meet him in person though!
December brought the end of my first quarter at Fuller Seminary. It was an intense quarter (in part because it's been such a long time since I've been in school), but I feel like I learned a lot. Not only were the classes interesting, but they are applicable to my life and work as both a missionary and a Regional Representative. After a 3 week break that included the holidays, classes began again this past Monday. I must admit that the break was so nice, it's been a little hard to motivate myself to start being studious again. :) This quarter's classes include "the Practice of Worship and Prayer" and "Transforming Contemporary Cultures." If this first week is any indication, I'm in for another interesting and enjoyable quarter!
Christmas time was filled with multiple gatherings, good food and relaxation. I was able to attend a Christmas party of friends from church. We even had a White Elephant gift exchange! It brought up many memories of family gatherings over the years (though there weren't any dolls included...). It was a lot of fun, and in the end, I walked away with a nice candle from Ikea.
The Sunday before Christmas, I attended an afternoon Christmas service. It was a bi-lingual service, so I was able to sing one or two Christmas songs in English. That's one of the things I miss most about being in another country over Christmas...the Christmas carols and the Christmas Eve candlelight service that my church always has.
Brittany (my teammate) and I were able to spend the 24th with the same friends that hosted the Christmas party, hanging out and simply enjoying their company. Though we didn't partake of traditional foods (they had just moved into their flat), we did have a wonderful day of conversation and getting to know each other more.
The next day, I hosted a small gathering of other Americans who were in Prague for Christmas. We made and enjoyed some yummy Mexican food. Maybe not your typical fare, but delicious nonetheless.
I ended 2014 by visiting some friends (and fellow EMM workers) in Wales. This brought a much needed time of rest and relaxation for me, allowing me to catch my breath. We didn't really have any kind of agenda, simply to relax and enjoy each other's company. It was wonderful! I was blessed to be able to join them for those 9 days!
As I look ahead to 2015, I'm not sure what to expect. But what I know is this...I know there will be times of joy and times of hardship. I know that 2015 will include lesson planning and a lot of reading and writing papers. I know that there will be days where I feel like I can speak Czech and days where no matter how had I try I simply can't get the right words out. But most importantly, I know that whatever happens, God is good. Blessings upon each of you as you journey into this new year!
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