Wrapping up 2014...

Dearest Friends and Family,

Merry Christmas! I'm sure I say this every year, but I really can't believe it's the end of 2014. We found out I was pregnant with Nadra back in January, so it's hard to believe that the whole year has past, yet can't imagine life without her.

We traveled to South Carolina for Thanksgiving, where Nadra got to meet Chris's parents (who had just arrived for a visit in the US) for the first time, which was wonderful. In mid-December we traveled to New Jersey for an early Christmas celebration with my family - my parents and grandma had met Nadra, but she was able to meet more extended family and we had a lovely visit with many of you.

As we prepare to celebrate I keep reminding myself that Christmas is a special time to celebrate Christ, to celebrate what it means that God sent Him to be a perfect man, to dwell on earth, to die as a sacrifice once and for all. Yet that's a reality that affects every moment of every day. So as we go into 2015 I pray that your moments and your days are captivated by the reality that Christ came to make the way for us to know Him.

With much love,
Kate


HIGHLIGHTS:

• My World Orphans Role: My role as Senior Mobilization Director means I oversee all the short-term trips World Orphans sends. In 2014 we sent 34 trips, which mobilized 302 people. I'm so grateful for my amazing co-workers and our church partners who made the trips happen and made them fruitful.
• As we look to 2015 I'm excited to continue pursuing the depth of what it means for our short-term trips to help our church partners care for orphans...until they all have homes. I'm reading a book called Helping Without Hurting in Short Term Missions, I highly recommend it if you're at all involved in short-term trips! 
• Chris: He's been working at a walk-in clinic associated with a family practice for 2.5 years now and continues to really enjoys it...check it out here! 
• The girls: We love having two girls! Nadra (3 months) is smiling and cooing all the time and starting to really laugh - it's so fun to watch her grow and develop. Jazmine (almost 3.5) is an amazing big sister. She loves to play with, read to, and sing to Nadra. And just today I realized that she knows the words "indigo and violet"! She's a sharp little girl and continues to delight us. Certainly working from home and caring for the girls has its challenges (although they are very content children!), but I feel really grateful to continue my work with World Orphans and also be home with my daughters.