Family Christmas Letter
CHRISTMAS 2009
For those of you who are personal friends, I’ve posted our little family Christmas note below. Merry Christmas to you all!
Here we are in snowy Indy, sending our warmest Christmas greetings to you. I’m sending family news, and, as usual, we’re anxious to hear about your life, too. Email us anytime, and be assured that we love you and pray for you faithfully.
We’ve lived in Indiana 6+ years now. Steve loves working with our 420 churches, and we travel our state regularly. It’s such a great mission field. Pray for God’s work here. We’re excited about simultaneous tip-offs planned in each association this March as we participate in North American Mission Board’s GPS plan for knocking on every door in the state. In spite of the economy, our churches set giving records through the Cooperative Program and special missions offerings, and we’ve begun sixteen new church plants.
What a blessed year! Steve taught in Ukraine at Kiev Theological Seminary & I got to go to my sister’s Mexico home. We’ve traveled to 12 states for speaking engagements and three other states for meetings. We’ll lead Kentucky’s 2010 state retreat for pastors/ deacons/wives. I finished my Masters degree, and my book, Deacon Wives, released in June. I still write a column for Baptist Press & several state Baptist papers, Let’s Worship magazine and Deacon Magazine, and I’m excited to get to write devotionals for Open Windows next year.
Autumn married Yale Wall in January! It was a beautiful time of celebration, and we loved seeing so many friends. You won’t believe it—Autumn and Yale have relocated to INDIANAPOLIS! Yale is the Media Specialist for the Indiana Baptist convention, doing layout and design for the Indiana Baptist, the state’s website (www.scbi.org), all the audio/video/ media for state work & events. He has such a great heart for ministry to go along with his amazing techy skills. Autumn is Steve’s administrative assistant, and has already organized his office and ministry. You can imagine what a huge help they are and how delighted Steve is to have them. They’re a darling newlywed couple, involved in their church, have a great apartment ministry where they live, an American Eskimo pup named Toughy, and even find time to visit their in-laws!
Justin’s still teaching business strategy and entrepreneurial business at Ohio University in Athens OH. He taught last spring in Pau France and just finished a class with executives from Brazil. He will teach in Denmark this spring. He spends lots of time in research writing but has plenty of time for all his other interests. He’s such a great guy.
Tylor moved to Athens Ohio to live with Justin! He’s still able to work for his uncle’s advertising business (www.bullseyeballoons.com) via internet. Justin and Tylor are really enjoying living together, and always seem to have a golf game, cookout, ball league or something going on. Athens is just 4 hours from Indy, so we love that!
We all spent a week in Colorado together this summer, and everyone came for Thanksgiving, along with Justin’s friend, Aunt June & Uncle Ferris and all 3 dogs. Can’t wait for Christmas!
Especially during Christmas, we’re so thankful for all God’s blessings – health, joy, work, ministry, family, friends. Thank you for being one of those blessings.Hope your Christmas is joyful!
Love, Steve & Diana