Christmas Letter 2009

Once again, here is the Christmas letter we sent out this year.

December 16, 2009
Dear Family and Friends,

Six pounds of raisins and currents, ten pounds of flour, and a giant package of yeast are waiting on our kitchen table. Today is the day to bake krentebrood, a Christmas tradition in our house and in the house of my childhood, and in fact, a Christmas tradition from my dad’s childhood when he helped my Opa bake it for the town of De Krim in his Dutch bakery every Christmas. It’s very early in the morning, and Marc and the kids are still sleeping (or finally sleeping in the case of my insomniac of a husband), but in a few hours, the girls will be sitting around the kitchen table sneaking raisins and bits of dough while Marc and I pound and kneed a giant bread mound wondering how to fit all these raisins in. I can taste it already.

Christmas is coming, snow is here, the decorations are up (except for the outside lights, over which Marc and I are in a stalemate about whose turn it is to brave the cold and string them up). My cat sits on the table at my left, sitting on a calendar, a cup of tea is on my right, and a gorgeous orchid beams in front of me, a gift from my mother-in-law which I mostly killed and then gave to my mom to bring back to life. (Thanks Moms). I am typing on my early Christmas present, a brand new laptop, purchased for our much anticipated trip to South Africa.

This is a time of anticipation. Two advent candles are lit each night this week; we sing “Soon and Very Soon” and wait for each Sunday when we get to begin a new candle. Sara begs to cheat and light the Christ Candle now already. She can’t wait for Christmas, “It’ll look so pretty”. Presents are slowly being discovered under the Christmas tree and Sara is buying a goat.

This year our waiting is not confined to the usual “Come Lord Jesus” type of advent. We have two advents at the same time. We are waiting for the referral of our son. Our paperwork is with our South African social worker and the call, theoretically, could come any time. Then three weeks later, Marc and I will be on our way to pick up our baby boy, who at this time may be already born, but is real to us only in our imaginations. Our kids are excited. Leah can’t wait to finally be a big sister. “My baby is in Africa and we have to wait and wait and wait and when he comes, we’ll name him “Baby Jesus’”. (She’s still a little confused about the whole thing, but she’s pretty sure he won’t be born in a manger.) Our journey through adoption has been exactly a year now, and we’re ready for this promised child to finally come.

But life goes on and we try to be patient. Sara is dancing her way through Senior Kindergarten which “is way better than Junior kindergarten because Mrs. Rekman makes them do real work”. She asks great questions! This week, while watching a very old man in the baking aisle of No Frills, she asked “So…how old is God turning this Christmas?” The man grabbed his can of evaporated milk, winked at her and turned the corner. A clever exit for him, but I was left floundering with concepts like the Trinity, time, and everlasting eternity.

We’re loving it that Leah is now able to really play make believe games with Sara. They amuse themselves for long periods of time playing “Mom and Dad”, “Princess” and “Veterinarian”. This year Leah made two very good friends, imaginary frog and imaginary chinchilla who mostly reside in the pocket of her fleecy sweater. It’s very cute, except when she begins to cry because you smushed them with your coffee cup. And when she “lost” them in Walmart…

We’ve been in Sarnia now for five and a half years. Marc’s job as youth pastor here has gone quite well but is a little uncertain right now. One of the three churches in the combined ministry has opted out, leaving the other two churches wondering how to continue with a full time youth pastor. We are definitely assured of a position for the next year, but what happens after that remains to be seen. So once again, we wait, resting in the Lord in good Psalm 33 fashion, uncertain of the future, but confident in His blessings.

Since the school where I was teaching closed this summer, I am happily “stay-at-home-moming it”, collecting EI and supply teaching occasionally. I keep busy with playing a lot of playdough, Little People and other activities which are good for development and generally good for the heart and soul too.

The heart and soul do well in the Christmas season. Our pastor is preaching on the universe of promise, how we all, people, animals, trees, stars, the whole creation wait in expectation for our Saviour, whose first coming we celebrate and second coming we long for. May you all view this present Christmas through the promise of the second and be filled with hope, cheer, and expectation.

Glory to

God

in the

Highest

and on

earth,

peace!

Love,


Marc and Renée,

Sara and Leah