HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!

It is 2009 in Lithuania!!! We just came home from standing on a bridge outside in 21 degree weather to watch fireworks! Yes, fireworks! It is what happens every New Year's Eve. People shoot off fireworks everywhere and you can look in any direction and see the sky light up. People were everywhere on the streets. The sound of fireworks popping will go on for a couple hours.

This year Vilnius will celebrate its 1,000 year birthday and we are the Cultural City for Europe. There will be lots of celebrating in the city.

In the distance on the second picture you can see the TV tower is lit up. Several years ago this was done to get in the Guiness Book of World Records as the tallest Christmas tree. It seems that they were still a little short to break the record but it is nice to see each year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christmas Eve in Lithuania is a special family night. Most homes have a traditional meal of twelve items and no meat. There is fish and mushrooms and salads and poppyseed cookies and milk to be drank. (We ate our traditional taco meal.) It was very nice having Matt at home with us. (This year his trip home was a gift from the MK office and we are VERY THANKFUL!) We gave him some gifts to remember Lithuania when he is back at Evangel. His hat and two shirts will definitely let others know where he was for Christmas!

We were blessed with a big package of goodies from the Women's Ministries in Fennville, MI. They have adopted us for several years and blessed us in so many ways. This year a box of books, music, peanut brittle and many other things. It kind of them to think of us in such a special way.




We went to the McClung's (our fellow A/G missionaries) for Christmas Day dinner and enjoyed a delicious ham and all the extras. Our evening was spent playing games and we had a great time relaxing together.

We are blessed to be in Lithuania with friends and have Matt here with us too.

MATT IS HERE!!!!!!

Matt arrived for Christmas break! (Thankfully the ice storm that hit was the day before!) He will be home for 2 1/2 weeks and we are excited to have him here! Some of the Doan's family came to welcome him too. (Doug and Eva were there too.) Josh, in the white jacket, was Matt's closest friend while living here. (We are amazed at how much everyone grew up and were talking about how we remembered when they were all much shorter!) The Doan's boys all became great friends of ours over the years. Josh is home too and it is really special that Matt can be with his friends again. We are looking forward to making some good memories while he is home with us.

Pakilk

Last week for the first time the whole leadership team for Pakilk, ministry to women, was together for their planning meeting. It was really great! This is the team God has given to Bette Sue to help lead our women in the churches in Lithuania. Our desire is to encourage, strengthen, and serve the groups in our churches. We want to see more women learn about Jesus and reach out to their neighbors with the HOPE Jesus gives each one of them.

Kristina, Lija, (on the couch) Sveta, and Bette Sue are eager to see more happening with women in Lithuania. This is a fantastic team!!!!!!

THANKSGIVING

After celebrating Thanksgiving in the states two years in a row, it was good to be back in Lithuania to celebrate with our team once again. Our 7 kg. (15.4 lbs.) turkey cooked perfectly in the roaster we brought back from the states. This allowed our small oven to be free for cooking other things. We had plenty of food and pies to last the day. It was a time of resting (as you can see Bob doing this after we ate) and having fun together. We all played games and then tried to watch the Lions football game through the computer. It is amazing to think that we could actually watch a live football game on Thanksgiving day...that is, they got to watch when the computer cooperated and the signal stayed on :) It was a day of blessing in every way! We thank the Lord for His faithfulness and want to keep a heart of THANKS giving each day.