This is our Christmas Letter that we mailed out to those who don't see us often. Many of those who read my blog, didn't receive this letter, because they were present for many of the happenings of this year. But I thought I would share it here, just in case anyone would be interested in reading it.
Dear Friends & Family:
Christmas seems to come
quicker every year! It doesn’t seem
possible that it’s time to write our Christmas letter. One of my traditions is to read through the
letters we’ve written in the past. This
always makes me feel a bit nostalgic & realize how fast things change!
As in the past, we have seen
a theme in the events that occurred in 2011.
This years’ theme was to “expect the unexpected”. Some of the unexpected
was pleasant & some was not.
We were affected by several
unexpected, sudden deaths of friends & a relative. These reminded us yet
again that life is so short & that we must live & love to the fullest
every day. It has caused us to hug each other a little longer & to cut out
some of the busyness that takes us away from the relationships that mean the
most.
Then we had several months of
unexpected medical & house issues that caused Jennifer to say to Josh, “I
think the warranty on our house & bodies ran out at the same time!” It started in June with a broken garage door &
a small basement leak. But at the end of July, a day before Josh was leaving to
go with Compassion International to Guatemala, Jennifer fell on our
porch steps & fractured 3 bones in her foot. Thankfully, our church friends
rallied around us & helped Jennifer while Josh was away. But, literally,
the hour Josh arrived home from the airport, the small basement leak turned
into a flooded basement! Then the following week, our furnace/ac unit stopped
working & Josh realized that souvenirs weren’t the only thing he’d brought
back from Guatemala,
but an intestinal “bug” as well! It just
seemed to go on from there in a similar manner through October.
Thankfully, even though those
months were stressful, they were all minor or fixable problems & we thank
God that our health & house issues were not more serious.
In the spring, Josh had the
unexpected surprise of getting assigned to be Elias’ head coach & also
Bella’s soccer teams’ assistant coach. It was fun to be all together, involved
in an activity. So this past fall, Josh decided to be the head coach for both
kids’ teams. But, now, Bella has decided her soccer days are behind her &
she wants to move on to dance. Elias still loves soccer, but he wants to
explore other sports also – like all of them!
This winter he is again playing basketball & he is thrilled that the
2nd grade league keeps score. When he plays soccer again in the spring,
his division will keep score for the first time as well & he is excited to
feel part of a more official team.
Isabella began kindergarten
this fall & took to it very quickly. She love going & then comes home
& plays school almost every evening. She has really blossomed & is not
quite as shy as she used to be - though her gym teacher said she has barely
heard her talk! She loves to read & tries to read just about everything
wherever she goes. We are constantly amazed at how much she’s able to decipher
on her own. She got her ears pierced at the beginning of the year for her
birthday & bangs cut into her hair in the summer. Coupled with the way her height has sprung
up, and she looks so grown up! She
discovered her first loose tooth the day before she started kindergarten &
it fell out just 2 days later! A month
later, a second tooth fell out just as quickly.
She was very proud to be getting a visit from the tooth fairy like her
brother.
Elias started 2nd
grade & he is now able to read full books with little help. He is all boy &
would rather wrestle & tell gross jokes than do school work. He also still
savors his role as the wiser, older brother.
But he’s a sweethearted child. His 1st & 2nd
grade teachers both compliment his kindness to others & his good
character. It definitely makes us proud! He has lost 7 teeth & at one point barely
had any teeth at all in the front of his mouth.
But unlike Bella, none of his have come out quickly. His top front tooth
was loose for 6 months before it finally came out! His adult teeth are making
him look even more like Josh – handsome, of course!
We have decided to take some
time away from working with the youth at our church, but are still enjoying
being involved in other ways there. We
still love working with Compassion International & we are so glad that we’ve
now had the opportunity to meet each of our sponsored children & visit
their country. Our sponsored children
have always felt like part of our family, but since we have been able to hug
them & feel their kisses on our cheeks & hear their voices with our own
ears, they have become an even bigger part of our lives. Thanks to the wonder of technology, we were
able to see & talk to Josh every day while he was in Guatemala & we were able to
send a video message to Jeremias, our sponsored child, & Josh sent one back
to us. We are glad that we have seen the
work that Compassion does, through sponsors all over the developed world - to
help these children have hope in their lives & for their future; to know
that God made them for a purpose; & when the unexpected does happen, God is
still in control.
We thank God that even when we
grumble & complain over the unexpected turns in life, that he is constant &
trustworthy. When the circumstances
cloud our perspective, He can help us see things from a different view &
allow us to see the good & not just the bad. There is a song by Sara Groves called, “From this one place” that Jennifer
has sang many times this year when the circumstances around her didn’t make any
sense. The last verse says, “From this
one place I can't see very far; In this one moment I'm square in the dark;
These are the things I will trust in my heart; You (God) can see something
else; something else”
We hope that each of you have
a peaceful & joyful Christmas. We hope that if the circumstances around you
aren’t making much sense, that you will be able to put trust in God knowing
that he can see things from a much broader perspective. Or, if you’re on a mountain top right now,
look around to help those who may need a little love & comfort, because
they are in the midst of a cloud of circumstance.
Merry Christmas & a
Blessed New Year!
Josh, Jennifer, Elias,
& Bella Wilson
♫God
rest you merry, Gentlemen, Let nothing
you dismay, For Jesus Christ our Savior
was born upon this Day. To save poor souls from Satan's power,
was born upon this Day. To save poor souls from Satan's power,
Which
long time had gone astray. That brings tidings of comfort and joy.
♫
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