Our S@vior is born! Wait, is it January already? What? Time is flying! We are already at the end of another year and oh boy, haven't we been blessed?!
Christmas Party:
Having the freedom to teach as we want, we decided to host a Christmas party for our students. For many of them this was the first time they celebrated or even heard of Christmas (having a Russian influence they celebrate Grandfather Frost on January 7). We prepared stockings for them, made some decorations, sang Christmas carols, and most importantly we got to share the true meaning of Christmas! We were able to retell the birth of our S@vior with joy and excitement to all of our students. The reason we found it to be a great joy was because this may have been the first, and possibly the only, time they have heard the Good News. We PTL for this opportunity. A Little Bump on the Road: During our trip to Turkey for our Fall Conference with our organization, we found out that we had been issued the wrong visas and overstayed our permitted time in country. Long story short, we had to take a trip to another country to reapply for the correct visas. In the mist of this situation, we knew and trusted that our Papa would protect us and give us favor during this whole process; and He did. The few days in another ountry allowed us to be refreshed individually and as a team. One of our administrators from the school went with us and we were beyond bl3ssed by her and all the help SBTC has given us. We PTL for taking care of us and our legal status in our host country.
Our Very First Christmas:
After spending Christmas Eve in a train, we safely arrived home and felt very bl3ssed to have spent our very first Christmas as a newly wed couple with our team. One of our teammate's sister and friend came all the way to our host country to visit for a few days and were able to celebrate Christmas with us. No pressure to you all, but that was something very special ;) As our Papa knows the desires of our hearts, He bl3ssed us with an opportunity to spend time with family in London. Having their financial support, we were able to find some cheap flights and have been enjoying our time here.
Overall Update
There has been a lot going on this past month, both good and interesting. We see that in many ways the enemy has been trying to stop and discourage us as a couple and as a team, but we rejoice in the Truth that we serve a great King! We say with great confidence that the praise reports and open doors thus far outweigh the bumps on the road. As we look back at this semester, we see how much closer He has brought us together in our marriage and to His heart. As we continue to pursue Him may He be gl0rified in everything that we do.
We hope you had a Merry Christmas and that 2014 is a year filled with more of Him!
Much love!