Celebration

JESUS

The anticipation has been building for weeks now as Christmas drew closer and closer.  Grammie has been making delicious treats for days.  We spent a wonderful two days in my parents home just being together...even had a sleepover.  Here are a few special memories we made the last few weeks.

Getting ready for Thanksgiving...my first American thanksgiving in 13 years and my husband and children's first ever!

My right hand helper girl

Right after Thanksgiving weekend we started planning and talking and looking forward to Christmas!

Our perfectly imperfect tree, to coin a friend's description of her tree!  We are so thrilled with our first ever real Christmas tree.

Christmas Light Parade in the little town where I work and we go to church.  We were thrilled special friends invited us to share the event with them.

I had the privilege of watching my Brazilian students receive their American diplomas via Facebook live.  Here they are singing the American anthem in honor of the 8 students that graduated with an American diploma last week as well as their Brazilian high school diploma.  I confess, there were more than a few proud tears shed as I watched their graduation from 8000 miles away.  My heart just about burst with joy at their accomplishments.  The messages that came later just made my day.  What a privilege to know these special young people and how excited I am to see where God takes them all in life.

Noah's little choral singing program before Christmas Break.

Enjoying a wonderful evening at my company dinner.  Delicious food and super fun table companions.  I like my people.  A lot!

California Christmas would just not be the same without a walk down Christmas Tree Lane and for me, a walk back to my childhood.  My kids were enthralled as it was a completely new experience for them.  I will never get too old for Christmas lights.  They are just so pretty!

Visitors from Oregon and North Dakota just add to our joy of the season!

Renicker Family Christmas...children opening their stockings.

Niece 1

Niece 2

Making our traditional communion bread.  Grandpa got all the kids involved and the adults just sat and watched and then of course, helped it all up!

Noah wanted to give his gift to his sister on his knees!  My kids have a flare for the dramatic but it was super cute!  He gave her earrings.

I heard something this week on the radio and was struck by its simplicity but significance.  I explained that we each would say what we were grateful for this year and then what each one wanted to give to Jesus as a gift this year.  It was super sweet to hear what each one was most grateful for and what each one wanted to give to Jesus as her or his gift.

Candle light service with our special church family last night.  We arrived in the United States one year ago yesterday and spent the day reminiscing and just thanking God for this amazing year full of so many joys, breakthroughs, tears, trials and most of all God's overwhelming, ABUNDANT GRACE.

"Twas the nigh before Christmas...

and all through the house...everyone was so tired we went to bed early!

I just had to point out that there were more people that understand Portuguese at our table today than not!  So so special to spend Christmas day with our Brazilian family (that really are American but spent most of their lives in Brazil as missionary kids and missionaries).  God has brought us all back to the States but they live on the other side of the country so our times together are short but incredibly sweet.

What is a holiday without a ton of good food?  Oh my.  My sister-in-law and mother out did themselves today.

OUR HOUSE

On October 15, 2019 we signed a rental agreement and were handed the keys to our first American home.  We are so thrilled to have this little house as our home for however long God gives us here.  It is a little rental that I used to play in as a child and then came to visit at as an adult.  It is one more manifestation of God's abundant blessing over our lives...and how my life feels like it has just come full circle.

OUR CHURCH

Our church family is one of our biggest blessings the last year.  Our pastor is my childhood friend, one who I was raised with and was my brother's best friend.  We worship with families I knew as a kid and teenager.  My children have found dear friends in my childhood friends' children. Again, my life has truly come full circle!

MY JOB

I wasn't looking for a full time job but God in His divine providence gave me just that and on August 13, I went to work full time for the first time since becoming a mother.  It's been a huge adjustment for my children and I.  There's been many a tear shed at missed school events and milestones on both the children and I's parts but mostly we are just so grateful for this job that has helped us in so many ways to get where we are today.  And yet another example at how my life has come full circle: my office manager is my childhood friend and my boss has been a family friend since I was Chloe's age.  Yup, full circle. 

HUSBAND'S JOB

It was with hearts full to overflowing that my husband went to work full time on September 23, nine months to the day of our departure from Brazil.  How we praise God for this job.  He's been there 3 months now and we continue to pray that he will be hired directly with the company soon but until that day we are just so grateful he is working in his area of study and experience.  How amazing is that?

As we reflect back on 2019 and all God has done and is doing and will continue to do, we just want to say thank you.  Thank you Jesus, for being with us every step of the way.  Thank you family, for loving on us through these months and year of immense adjustments and change.  Thank you Dad and Mom R for giving us a safe haven, a place of consistency and love for 10 long months as we waited for those prayers of a job to be answered. 

Thank you Church family, for loving on us in so many ways and most of all your fervent, faithful prayers on our behalf (sunday school teachers, small group members, pastor Rex and Alli, administration, women's ministry, you know who you are!).  Thank you to our dear friends who have rented this sweet little house to us in our time of need.  Thank you friends for the many texts, emails, letters and phone calls reminding us of your love and prayers.  Thank you to our new friends, both for Everson and I and for our children, who have just welcomed us into your worlds with such love and grace.

Thank you for the dear ones who have sent checks at just the right time.  Thank you Brazilian family and friends for never leaving us alone and flooding our phones with messages reminding us we are never forgotten and forever in your hearts.  Thank you to our bosses and office managers who have taken the time to train us and given us the opportunity to work in an amazing environment.  Thank you to my housecleaning clients who gave me work those first several months.  Thank you to those who gave furniture and lovely nick nacs that have filled our home with warmth and beauty.  The list truly could go on and on and on.

Only God.  Forgive me if I am a little weepy today.  It just is sometimes too much to comprehend how wide and deep is His Love for us.  As you look ahead to 2020, I hope you do so with HOPE.  HOPE that HE is coming again.  Not as a baby, but as a triumphant, magnificient, omnipotent KING!
What a day that will be!

                                                                    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
                                                                                         Jama for the Brazil turned USA bunch