2023 Christmas Letter

 

2023 Christmas letter

Christmas 2021

 

Christmas 2020

 

Christmas 2018

Christmas 2018

As with every year I can remember, 2018 has been full of God’s joy and grace along with some adventures and challenges. Through it all, God has been faithful and true.

Highlights:

Our team with the Latacunga leaders

VBS art crew

Setting up the church tent/canopy in Latacunga

Ecuador: Our family went to Ecuador in July with Ardeo (formerly Extreme Nazarene) to work with a brand new church plant in Quito and with a church celebrating its 1 year anniversary in Latacunga. 

Latacunga Church-1st Anniversary/organizing the church

It was fun to see where Todd lived and worked for six years before we were married and to see several friends from the past! We enjoyed seeing the sites in Quito and hearing the vision Ardeo has for reaching out to their big-city neighbors in practical ways.  

Diana & family--in Quito!!

We were blessed to see our former exchange student, Diana, and her family and Carlos, our former co-worker from Guatemala, with his family while we were there in Quito. 

Carlos Juarez & family

We worked alongside the church people to hold a kids’ club in Latacunga (about 2 hours from Quito).

Clowning around--in the jungle

Many special connections were made with taxi drivers, cooks, hotel workers, youth and other small groups at church as we visited the local hospital with bread and tea, planned the VBS with different groups in the church, and participated in prayer walks, shopping for supplies, ministry to college students, and playing soccer with strangers in the park.

Todd has been working at OnSemiconductor for nearly three years, and I have been supervising NNU’s mailroom for the past 2 ½ years. We continue to enjoy our current roles.

Kyle with his NNU Hawk Box (acceptance info)

Kyle was accepted to NNU and got his Hawk Box in the mail as confirmation! J He has been busy taking tests and looking for scholarship opportunities. 

Kyle, prepared for his leaf cutter bee presentation

Kyle recently completed his fascinating senior project on Leafcutter Bees.

On my birthday this spring, Megan had her appendix removed. She recovered quickly, in time to play tennis. 

Megan and Abby
-after hearing that they would advance to State!!

This fall, she and a friend competed in a district theater competition and went to State with their costume design!

Abby modeling their dress

Future:

Kyle will be graduating from high school this May! He is planning to study Wildlife Ecology and Biology at NNU next fall. We are very excited for this milestone and all that lies before him.

Megan has been studying Chinese for the past two years and will be visiting China for 10 days with her class next summer. A Chinese university will be taking care of all of their meals, hotels and transportation. She will just need to pay for her plane ticket and visa. What a wonderful opportunity!

Kyle and Megan are planning to attend NYC (a global Nazarene youth event that takes place every four years). They have been busy working for their portion of the cost. So proud of these great kids!

This year, I have been reminded of the difference each one of us can make in the lives of those around us. Thank you for the difference you make in my life. May we be peacemakers, patient, kind, generous with our time, talents and treasures, hopeful, forgiving, not easily offended, enduring in the face of difficulty, full of integrity…..in agreement with the bells:

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."

I Heard the Bells

on Christmas Day

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

and wild and sweet 

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come, 

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along

The unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime,

A chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head; 

"There is no peace on earth," I said; 

"For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail, 

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men."

Christmas 2017

Christmas 2017

"Light" is the theme that stands out to me this year. One of my favorite things is to come around the corner in our neighborhood and see our Christmas lights shining a happy welcome. Light contrasted with darkness is just beautiful. I love the word picture of Jesus as light. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.     ~John 1:1-5 

 

I am so thankful for God's love that "disperse(s) the gloomy clouds of night, and death's dark shadows put(s) to flight." (O Come, O Come, Emmanuel) Emmanuel, God with us.

First day of school~2017

2017 has been a comfortable year for our family. Todd has now been working for a semiconductor manufacturing company here in Nampa for the past year and a half.  Jennifer continues to manage the mailroom at NNU and substitute teach occasionally.

ZooBoise's Penguin Pavillion

Megan and Kyle are both driving now, although Megan still has her permit and is scheduled to solo this coming spring (2018).  

We just finished our fifth year in Nampa. Things feel predictable and familiar. The kids have tried a few new sports this year. Megan (15) did tennis, and Kyle (16) did golf this spring.  They went skiing for the first time this spring. Kyle worked on our friend's farm again this summer, and he and Megan volunteered again at the zoo. They are both involved in the youth group and the puppet team. Megan began learning to silversmith this summer and has taken a Chinese class this fall. Kyle is taking Spanish and an auto tech course at school. 

Flag procession at General Assembly

The Church of the Nazarene held its General Assembly this summer. While the kids were at church camp, Todd and I drove out to Indianapolis. We saw many friends from so many different places (Swaziland, Ecuador, Tennessee, Guatemala, Haiti...and Nampa) :) and met some wonderful new friends. From there, we drove down to visit family in Tennessee, and the kids flew out to meet us...solo. Our Tennessee time was short but very sweet. 

 

Cousins: Susan, Todd, Kent, Laurie & Kevin

Other adventures this year included a quick trip to see my brother
Paul and family in California, camping at City of Rocks,

Setting up the 3-D printer

Carwell kids (friends from Haiti) with K & M

trying out 3-D printing and having several far-away family members and friends visit us. We are very blessed!!

ECUADOR: Before Todd and I were married, he lived in the country of Ecuador for 6 years. During this time, he learned much about life and ministry from some amazing people. We have always wanted to go back and visit, but timing has never been right. Four years ago, Diana from Quito, Ecuador spent a school year with us as an exchange student. That was a special experience that we all shared. When our church announced that they would be taking a mission group to Ecuador this summer, we were so excited! We are planning to be there from July 14-29.  Please pray for us as we prepare for this special trip. 

 While we are so thankful for the fun, happy times, several friends and family members have experienced great loss this year. Whether your year has been characterized by joy or grief, we pray that the God of all comfort would strengthen you and bless you with His peace and His light this year.    Love, The Edgertons

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! (2016)

We want to wish you a 

Merry Christmas 

& Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve

It is always special to receive cards and letters this time of year, to catch up on the news and events of our friends and family from the past year, and to thank the Lord for His amazing grace and care. Each year, it seems that a different Christmas carol is special. This year, my heart is bursting with “Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her king! Let every heart prepare Him room. And heaven and nature sing.”

Some highlights from this past year:

·      In March, Todd began working for a company called On Semiconductor. He is on the team that maintains and repairs support equipment. He works 12-hour shifts, and every quarter he switches between the day and night shift.

The NNU Bookstore/Mailroom Team

·      In August, I took a job as the mailroom supervisor at NNU. I have a great boss and a wonderful team of students who work with me. It is a half-time position, so I still substitute teach occasionally, as well. 

1st day of school

·      Kyle and Megan are on the puppet team and volunteer in the church nursery once a month. They are both involved in the youth group and are just awesome, helpful, thoughtful teens.

 This summer they volunteered at the Boise Zoo where they were given the opportunity to develop speaking skills giving small group presentations, learn about various animals and habitats, and some basics about being good employees.

Kyle on the 4wheeler, spraying weeds, this summer

·      Kyle is now taller than the rest of us. This summer he worked a couple days a week with a local farmer from our church and learned so much. He is now taking an Ag class in high school (his sophomore year). This fall, he got his driver’s permit, so he drives every chance he can get!!

Megan, always creating

·      Megan ran track in the spring and played basketball in the fall for her school team. She is in eighth grade and enjoys working with a school leadership team called Rising Stars. Her cat, Slush, has now been with us for a year and is still very loved! Megan has done some babysitting for friends and neighbors. I still call her my "creative cookie" since she always has new ideas for things to do or create.

Kyle, Diana, Megan & MariaJose

·      We have been in Nampa for four years now. 

Cousin Jordan, now an NNU student

Although we miss family and friends who live far away, we are thankful to live so close to Todd’s parents, his oldest brother and family, various aunts, uncles and cousins. We enjoy seeing them as often as busy schedules allow. This year, we also enjoyed visits from my parents, brother & family, a college friend & family at Yellowstone, several of Todd's cousins, aunts & uncles and even our former "daughter" (exchange student) from Ecuador & her sister!

We send our love and are thankful for the part that each of you has played in our lives. May God bless you with His incredible peace during these holidays and in the coming new year.

Love,

Todd, Jennifer, Kyle and Megan Edgerton