Something in the Oven…
Hello dear friends and family!
Praying you each had a very blessed holiday season, celebrating Christmas and bringing in the New Year with your loved ones. We don't know about you, but it seems like it all came and went so fast!
Thank YOU!
To begin this update, James and I just want to express how truly grateful we are for those of you who have been reading our newsletters, have given financially, and of course all who have been praying for us. When we think of each of you, these verses come to mind:
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now
Philippians 1:3-5
It is because of your prayers and support that we were able to go on our trip to study missions in Mexico last June. That summer program has laid a crucial foundation for James and I as we are sincerely seeking the Lord's will for us in fulfilling the great commission.
December Update
Last month was busy, to say the least! Amidst working and our usual ministry responsibilities, we got to serve at our church’s first "Christmas Family Night" put on by the children’s ministry. The kids performed a beautiful Christmas play for friends and family, including a Gospel presentation of course, and it was a full house! James and I were in charge of running the refreshments table, with tons of cookies, apple cider, and of course cocoa. You bet there was lots of "cookie testing" going on that night!
Christmas Family Night
This year we decided to do something a bit different with our Christmas gifts, as we didn't want to spend too much but still desired to give everyone something special. I (Tatiana) felt especially burdened to reach out to the neighbors in our complex more intentionally, and what better excuse could there be for that than to pass out Christmas cookies! And yes, this is what we meant when we titled this newsletter "Something in the Oven.” It took all day to make the cookies, but overall I was really happy with how they turned out; plus it was a great time of bonding with my sister Trina who helped. I even printed a little nativity story to add to each cookie box for the recipients to read! This really opened up some doors for conversation with our neighbors as we delivered the cookies to them, and hopefully through this they were able to see the love of Christ in us!
Sweet Christmas Gifts
My (James) work had a "Secret Santa" gift exchange for Christmas this year, so each person was given a coworker's name to buy a gift for as well as a list of things they enjoy. The person I got was a girl named Lily, who mentioned she likes frogs. So I found a big plush frog named "Robert" and accompanied it with her favorite candy, and a card. I also felt led, however, to write in the card a short story in rhyming style to point to God. It featured "Robert the Frog" who was hungry yet fearful to swim. He was miraculously provided a meal and was met with a voice saying he will never be left or forsaken, which gave him a newfound fearlessness. I pray that she was touched by the story in a way that will spark her curiosity about God and the spiritual world.
Our Prayer for the New Year
This year James and I both want to be in a mindset of surrender to the Lord, with no expectations other than for Him to reveal His will, in His time, as we earnestly seek Him. Something that I (Tatiana) feel the Lord is wanting me to grow in more this year is letting Him lead and letting go of my own plans and expectations. For James, the Lord has been reassuring him that He is laying a foundation for something great.
We earnestly believe this promise that the Bible gives us when thinking about our future:
To Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.
Ephesians 3:20
Hopefully this verse is a good reminder and brings encouragement to your life as it did for us!
Prayer Points
As we mentioned last time, there is a possibility for us to go to the Middle East this summer to seek the Lord's face in an unreached land that has been impressed on both our hearts. We would like prayer for clarity and confirmation as we consider this, as it will be a miracle if James can get the extended time off from work!
We also are moving forward with our plan to move in with my (Tatiana) parents this spring. We’d appreciate prayers for the Lord's continued guidance and His hand to be seen in this decision.
Perseverance for James, as his commute to and from work has been leaving him feeling very exhausted and run down.
Points of Gratitude
Our church's children's Christmas play / outreach went well and lots of people came!
We have less than $2k to payoff from our debt now!
We had a very blessed Christmas spent with family and loved ones
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