Yet in this season of joy and light, we invite you to reflect with us on God's work in our lives during 2014.
I've found 2014 to be a year with three themes: goodbyes, new experiences through travel, and God's faithfulness:
In March, we said goodbye to Andrew's first car, a much-loved 1990 Honda Civic. "Izzy" was the car that served as our get-away car after our wedding, and took us on our honeymoon as well as many other trips.
In May, we said goodbye as our dear friends, Val & Tony, moved to Vermont, ending our tradition of having dinner together as couples once each month. We miss these friends, but are so glad to watch God work in their lives in Vermont.
In September, while Andrew was away, we said goodbye to a large oak tree that called it quits and fell down in our backyard. In this unexpected event, we saw God's faithfulness in His provision of many friends who assisted in cleaning up the yard in Andrew's absence.
In October, we said goodbye to Toby, my family's pet for the past 13 years.
As you've found this blog, you are also likely aware that we've had plenty of new experiences through travel during 2014.
In June, for our second anniversary, we spent a long weekend in northern Michigan, visiting Mackinac Island.
In August, we traveled to Ocean City, New Jersey to witness Andrew's sister, Kim, join in marriage to Garry, and in doing so, welcomed our new brother-in-law, to the family.
In February, while participating in a season of fasting with our church, we felt a calling to explore the possibility of doing some short-term mission work in Carlisle, England with Operation Mobilisation. We spent much of 2014 praying into this calling, then preparing to go. Andrew arrived in Carlisle on 26 August, and I joined him in the UK on 20 September. If you've been following this blog, you know about our time volunteering in Carlisle as well as the exploration we were able to do around the UK on the weekends, including visiting some of our Scottish relatives.
God was faithful throughout this entire experience, providing for us financially, giving us peace with and unity in our decisions, providing wonderful tenants to rent our basement for the school year (financial provision as well as someone to keep an eye on the house while we were gone), housing in England with a delightful and hospitable family, a young adults Bible Study which included challenging discussions and new friends, safety in travel, and protection of our marriage.
After our time in England, we spent two weeks visiting my brother Greg, and his wife Mary, in Bangkok, Thailand. Those wonderful experiences are explained in more detail in previous blogs.
While preparing for our trip to the UK, and again now that we've returned, our lives carry on here in Grand Rapids. I continue my work as a registered nurse in adult oncology and bone marrow transplants. In July, I passed an exam to become "oncology certified." Andrew's work at CQL, doing software development, also continues.
We eagerly anticipate entering into 2015 and discovering what God has in store for us in the coming year. One new adventure we're really looking forward to is taking on the role of Aunt and Uncle in January as we welcome our first niece or nephew, Greg & Mary's firstborn, to the family.
We pray that each of you is able, in reflection on this past year, to see the ways in which God has been faithful. In celebration of Christ's birth, we are humbled by God's faithfulness in providing the perfect Savior, who atoned our sins and bought our salvation. Praise be to God!
Merry Christmas!
Love, Ann & Andrew Webster
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.