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For the last several years our tradition has been to have a large Christmas breakfast and invite over family and friends to share it with us.  Some of you participated in that annual event.  This year we will not be doing our Christmas tradition.  Our house is and will be in a state of chaos due to our transition to South Korea.  I have mixed emotions; part of me is excited for our move to South Korea and part of me is sad to not have our tradition.  I’m so grateful that even though our traditions may be interrupted the reason for the season, Jesus Christ, never changes and is always with us.  I find great comfort in resting in Him as my foundation when life gets chaotic.

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Right now as I look around the house and see most of the stuff off the walls and boxes everywhere and multiple piles of stuff being sorted into the “get rid of”, “ship over” and “put in storage”.  It’s a surreal feeling.  For the last month we have been in various stages of preparation for our departure and as time grows shorter it seems to get a bit more chaotic.

Making this move overseas makes moving across town or even across state lines seem like a piece of cake.  There are a lot of moving pieces and it seems a bit overwhelming.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, I’m actually invigorated by the process.  Lord willing we will make the transition and all will go smoothly enough.

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I want to share with you our timeline for the next several weeks.  We will be in the Sandy/Portland area until the 10th of January.  After that we will be in Central Oregon saying farewell to friends, family and partners until the 22nd of January.  We will depart from Portland on the 23rd for South Korea.  Once there we will be staying in a hotel for a week as we make the transition with the Directors of the Hospitality House.  Beginning the 1st of February we will move into the Hospitality House and begin the ministry.  We will close the house to formal events for two weeks as we settle in and have a chance to meet individually with people that are part of the house.

During that first few weeks we will need to take care of many logistics like meeting with Chaplain’s, getting our ID’s, going over the house books, learning where to shop for food, learning how to pay the bills, banking, driving, etc.  I try not to think too far ahead or I get a headache.  Thankfully, we will have a full week with the current house directors to ask questions and be shown many of these things rather than have to figure them out on our own.

Lilly inspects the turkey

Sarah and Nate will take January off from school and start back into their studies in February once we move into the house.  Since they are already very comfortable with home school activities it should prove to be a smooth transition for them.  It will mean that they have school all the way through July because of taking January off.

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James and Nicole will celebrate their first Christmas in their own home and we are very excited for them.  We passed our Christmas tree to them this year along with some of the ornaments that we have collected over the years that are precious to Nicole.  We will be spending time with them this year at their place instead of at ours.  I look forward to what traditions they will develop over time.

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Cassie will have a Christmas party this year at her house and we will be attending that as well.  She too received some of the ornaments that have hung on our family Christmas tree over the years that are precious to her.  She will start her own traditions now that she is out of the nest.

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It’s hard to say goodbye to some traditions but it’s OK for me because I know that it is the people we share the traditions with that are important.  Traditions come and go over time and transition but relationships are what shape our lives.  I’m grateful for my relationship with Christ and I’m grateful for my relationships with my children.  Thank you Lord.

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  • We still need about $1000 more in monthly financial support
  • We are always in need of additional prayer partners.
  • Timeline
    • Now – January 10th 2012 – Portland area
    • January 11th – 22nd – La Pine area
    • January 23rd – 24th – Flying to Korea
    • January 24 – as long as God will allow us to stay – Osan Hospitality House South Korea.

May you have a very Merry Christmas and my Christ be your foundation that all else is built on that you may never be destroyed by the enemy.

God Bless you this Christmas.

Michael