I have been trying to write our “Christmas Poem” for a few weeks now…and to put it bluntly, it just isn’t happening! I don’t know if the kids have finally taken over my brain, and such, writing tasks are now beyond me. Maybe the study of language No 3 in 8 years has finished off a few too many brain cells, or maybeI am just plain too busy to be creative! So, I have decided to give up. After all… it is the Christmas thought that counts, not the rhyming!
This Christmas is an exciting one for us. For the past 8 years we have celebrated Christmas in either the Southern Hemisphere, which to be honest just didn’t feel right, or in “secular” nations that don’t celebrate Christmas. I did not realize how much we missed the Christmas temperatures, music, and festivities until we were confronted with them this year. Jonathan starred as Joshua the sheep in his Kindergarten Christmas play “The Crippled Lamb”. We have visited a German Christmas Bazaar a number of times in central Sofia and we have enjoyed snowball fights in the first snow of the season. We have sung (ok.. tried to sing) Christmas carols in church, seen the lights go up around town and even hung our stockings on a REAL fireplace! It is setting up to be a wonderful Christmas as we welcome my parents a few days before the 25th. We are looking forward to the time to rest, relax and enjoy the celebrations of Jesus’ birthday!
Well, no Christmas letter is complete without a round up of the year…here is it in a nutshell!! We started the year in Kosovo, newborn James in our arms and much excitement as to what the year would bring. Spring saw the move of the church in Prishtina to a new building that we could use 24/7. What a difference it made and new ministries were started immediately. There was much optimism in the air as to how God would bless the church’s efforts. Late spring, and we got the crazy news that we were on the move again…this time to Sofia, Bulgaria. We were too stunned to really take the news any particular way, but as it sunk in we felt both grief and excitement. We left Kosovo at the beginning of summer, travelled the USA on home assignment, and moved home to Sofia in September. The church in Kosovo continues to grow and reach into its new community. We remain totally excited from afar! We get back to Kosovo semi-regularly to support the folk there. Our assignment here continues to develop and we are starting to settle into fulfilling roles within the team. Some days we are excited by the opportunities here and other days we are overwhelmed! What we do know is that God is with us, he has placed us here and we will trust him!
Whilst all that moving and shaking was happening as a family we continue to grow (in maturity, not numerically)! Jonathan started kindergarten this year. I officially have a school-aged child!! He is loving it and as mentioned above was the lead role in his school play. We were very proud of our solo singing, line memorizing first born! Meanwhile Sarah and James are doing a great job of settling into Bulgaria. They enjoy times with Baba Tsanka every week (who babysits them while we are taking language lessons). She plays with them and talks only Bulgarian with them. Sarah is doing very well with her understanding and we are hoping that as James starts to speak he will be somewhat bi-lingual. Sarah started ballet in September, and is loving being with other little girls her age. =) I find it hard to believe that my babies are growing up so quickly. Yet they are, and we are enjoying getting to know the little people that they are becoming!
Well, this letter is already a little longer than anticipated! I will end with a sincere thank you to all of you. For, supporting us, being friends to us, praying for us, loving us. We could not be living this crazy life of ours without your participation. We thank God for the way he uses each of you as He provides all our needs.
Our wish for you this Christmas year,
Is more than happy festive cheer.
We pray that each and every one of you
Will see Christmas from God’s point of view.
What a gift he sent us with his son,
His love, his plan, new life for each and every one!
Thank you Father in heaven above,
This season we celebrate Your gift of love!
With much love, Jennifer and the rest of the Mann Clan:
Douglas, Jonathan, Sarah and James!
December 12th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
I was so happy to get your Christmas letter. I pray for your little family each day. I keep your post card and photo in my Bible so I won’t forget to pray for you all. God bless you with good health and joy in the coming year and may you be a blessing to the people in Sofia. In His love, Jeanne Echols
December 23rd, 2011 at 5:53 pm
Glad you are doing so well. May God continue to bless you and your family. Merry Christmas. God bless you in the coming year. Your friends. Tony and Margaret Casey