Christmas 2018
God has made so many promises to us and has
proven himself faithful time after time. In a year defined by upheaval,
uncertainty, adjustments and grief, those promises are bedrock. The world
changes, but he never does!
We moved to Maine in April
where Russell is now pastor at the Goodwins Mills Advent Christian Church. Incidentally,
Noelle’s grandfather pastored here in the 40s. Our first Sunday here, Noelle’s
beloved brother Neal, passed away from esophageal cancer. Thankfully we were
able to see him two days before, and we know he is with Jesus now. But this
loss has been difficult. Other family illnesses and struggles have occurred
that made us thankful to be close to Noelle’s parents and siblings.
Our church family has been kind and gracious
as we’ve settled in. Our new home is in a lovely spot and we’re delighting in
an abundance of water, woods and (sort of) winter! (Our blood got so thin in
Oklahoma…we’re really feeling the cold!)
Russell is enjoying ministry in southern
Maine, and apart from his work at the church, he serves on the Ministerial
Board for the state conference. He still lifts weights, enjoys video games, and
plays Scrabble and Words with Friends and chess with his favorite gamers! We
were thankful to be able to visit his mom in Florida recently for her 90th
birthday! We adopted two middle-aged cats in November – 7-year-old siblings
named Gooseberry and Moose. After their own adjustment, they have enhanced our
lives by sleeping and eating!
Noelle finished book number four this year
and is actively working towards finding an agent for this one. She cares for
Owen and the whole family, and enjoys reading, writing and other crafts in her
spare time. It’s a blessing to be so close to family and to see many of her
siblings quite routinely. We had twenty-five here for Thanksgiving!
Emily was in the middle of classes for
radiography when we moved, and she wasn’t able to get into a similar course
until next fall, or later. So now she is pursuing a slightly different course
beginning in January. She is going to be certified in massage therapy and be
finished by the end of July. For now, she’s working part time at Target and is
caring for Owen.
Speaking of Owen, he
started preschool in October and has transitioned to a new routine fairly
smoothly. He keeps us all busy and laughing and frustrated and enamored every
day! At four, he is articulate, loving, funny and has a great imagination. We
are also reaping the benefits of helping with Owen: according to several
studies, caring for grandchildren staves off Alzheimer’s and dementia!
Peter has one semester until he finishes his
next degree in Cyber Security. He is looking at working while doing his masters
and is pursuing several options. He has integrated into our new church at
Goodwins Mills and is beloved by many!
Our Texas kids are busy and
growing: this year they got a new dog, several chickens, a lizard and a
hedgehog, in addition to their two dogs and two cats, and three kids. Gracen is
fifteen and has her driver’s permit now. Zoe, at fourteen, is active in cross
fit training and dead lifted 185 pounds! Naomi will be twelve in March and she loves
all the animals and cares for them and her family. Ryan and Crystal minister at
Open Door Church apart from full time work and homeschooling. We’re grateful for our home, our family and friends, and we pray that you can see the blessings around you, and know the depth of God’s love, especially now in this Christmas season. Love from all of us Carles and Storeys
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