Wrap

• Lydie finally starting taking multiple steps - we are hesitant to call it walking, but she is certainly headed that direction. She is all the way with whatever mood she is in. If she is not happy -- holy cow, she is mean and mad. If she is happy ... whoa, she is silly and odd. No happy medium for this one.

• Hope lost a front tooth ... the other one will be gone soon...And just in time to sing the "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" song.
• Today we get to meet the adoptive mom of Hope and Phoebe's older sister Gracie. We are VERY pumped. We have been writing to each other for years and now we'll get to hug and become REAL to one another.

• Annie and Phoebe seem to be mentioned very little in recent weeks. Here is the latest on these two clowns -

1. Annie is so tiny for her age, she looks weird walking ... but she does it and she does it fast. For the first time, we started talking about her leaving. That will be one crazy emotional day. Happy and sad and wonderful and ... sad. Like half the universe, she waits in the office called "IBESR" for a stamp of approval. Her family would love for her to be in MN. We want that for them in spite of really loving having her here. We rely fully on God, the only "government official" that will ever get this deal done. And we wait.
   
2. Phoebe has taken to calling her Daddy, "Troy" she pretty much refuses to call him anything else. At night, he tucks her in, she says, "Thanks Troy." He gets her juice, it's "thanks Troy"! I think it is funny. Troy, not so much. We tried potty training with her. Fail. Fail. Fail. Too soon. Bad idea.

• Isaac asked tonight "How much did you have to pay to get me?" I said, "Who said I had to pay for you?" He said, "Well, I just figured it might have cost money to get me." I assured him that the money spent was to process paper work but that there is not enough money in the world to pay for him ... he is worth billions upon billions.

• Paige had a great turnout for Kids Club week three, she is also working with Leme on Mondays and Thursdays for 90 minutes each day. Gorge tried to *give* Leme to us. Truly, he did. Gulp. PLEASE pray that we are able to be light and love to her and that we can come to see and discern her situation as it actually is.

• Troy and Noah made a quick trip with the Iveys to Boutiliers last week. (See Photos) He'd never been there before.
• Tuesday we're hosting a shindig. It is for the ladies of Port au Prince Fellowship - a Christmas party! Very fun, very excited. (And no, I don't have to cook - therefore I am truly excited to host.)

• QCS Christmas break starts Thursday! Our kids are pretty pumped. Merry Christmas to all of the teachers and staff that love and teach and shepherd our kids, we thank you!

• I've realized that while the sometimes over-the-top materialism-driven portion of Christmas and the pressures of running and shopping for gifts is not something I want to be a large part of our traditions, there are traditions that I want to create for my children. We are starting new traditions this year, figuring that Haiti will be where we spend many future Decembers. The things I remember about Christmas as a kid have nothing to do with the gifts I got. The memories center on the family time and the music and the food and the special things we did together year after year.

• Zoe comes to live with us this Wednesday morning. For two weeks we will have Zoe and Harley, her brother. Because, what we need around here is a little more activity, a little chaos ... a stinkin' challenge or something. ;-) On Dec 31 Harley will go back home when his family gets back from Christmas in the States ... and soon after that Zoe will visit the crabby Vet to get her papers and pack her duffle bag and fly to Florida to meet her new parental unit.

• Our friend Luke Renner is coming to crash here next Sunday. We're excited to enjoy his stories and irreverent ways of telling them.

• Next week Paige will travel the world solo and go to MN for Christmas with her other family. Prayers for traveling mercies are VERY appreciated. It has been two years since she last winged it alone. She is much wiser and experienced now, and pretty much owns the airports. I no longer feel like I will vomit when I think of her traveling without me.

• The wedding is less than three weeks away. That is just crazy talk.

• Jeronne will be taking a test to pass and finish literacy class on December 22. Prayers for her are appreciated. Assuming she passes we will attend her graduation in January!

• Hope will celebrate her 7th Birthday on December 24 ... click to read her story. We will post her party photos on her big day.

• We will be taking a two week break from blogging ... we have a couple of phenomenal guest bloggers planned to fill in the gaps. Besides our normal ministry duties and routines - we're spending a little extra time meeting up with friends, reflecting, praying, and hearing this Christmas season. While we hear from Him, you'll hear less from us. It'll be a good thing all around. We will be back the last day of 2008.
  

• The second annual Christmas video production is about to wrap! Things got a bit complicated with video coming in via email to production headquarters (sideways) from Texas ... And Prima Donna cast members needing to be coddled and pampered and pulled along ... But, it will debut very soon. Stand by.
  

May you stay rooted by the stream of water that gives you life and causes you to produce fruit in its season.

And may you walk boldly towards what needs preserving in this world - bringing great value to it - knowing that it is God who declares that you can do it.

And may you live the radical life of a revolutionary - prompting the world to ask of you, "What are we going to do with you?"

Amen.