Thank you for all your love, prayers, letters, and support!
The greatest joy one can possibly experience is watching children sing and tell the story of the birth of Jesus. The children of our after-school program presented a 40 minute musical to our church on December 14. Most of these children, although their parents come from English-speaking countries, speak mainly in Italian. They are the second generation of immigrant parents to Italy. They are not able to communicate to their grandparents back in the home country! In the program they are taught English three days a week for 2-1/2 hours. It's amazing to hear them now speaking and singing in English in just a few months.
We thank God our children are doing great. Christopher is entirely out of the service now and is the teen director of a Boy's and Girl's Club. Nicholas, and his wife, Rachel, are going to have their first child (our first grandchild!) in March. Alicia will be finishing up her last semester at the university and will graduate with her teaching degree. After graduation she will return to Italy permanently, and getting married in June to Neemias, a great young man from Brazil. Everyone is serving the Lord, and that makes us even happier!
Our church, International Christian Fellowship of Padova, Italy, is doing great. We have experienced a true revival this year in every sense of the word. We are grateful to God for all His love, salvation, deliverance, and healing. All this makes this Christmas even more meaningful and precious.
We pray that your Christmas will be filled with the same joy that these children have. Although we cannot turn back the clock and 'feel' the same warm and fuzzy feelings many of us enjoyed as children during Christmas, we can enjoy the peace and love that comes through the presence of Jesus as we celebrate His birth.
God bless you, and may 2009 be the best year ever for you and your family!
Steve & Patti
