Happy New Year!

Melanie —  January 7, 2025

Happy New Year to all of you! We have had a wonderful time being all together as a family these past weeks. It’s been a very full house and a really special time! (See the bottom of this post for more photos)

Hannah, Noah and Owen flew to the USA yesterday to see Noah’s family. We will miss them so much as between our two trips we won’t see them for two months.

It’s been sweet having Michael (Aliyah’s fiance) with us for the past week. He leaves on Friday to go back to Dallas where he is studying.

The rest of us leave for the USA next week.These days before we leave are going to be very busy for us. Please would you pray for health and strength (during this season of many illnesses) and sleep (which has been very challenging for Melanie recently).  We’d also appreciate prayer for focus and efficiency as we prepare many details for our trip and for God’s help as we make preparations to make sure things are covered at Trinity Chippenham while we are away.  Humanly speaking, it feels impossible to get it all done, but we are trusting in Him to help us.

Also, two big church related requests: the full-time Trinity Chippenham elders are preparing to interview applicants for a new role at Trinity Chippenham – personal assistant to the elders. Our church is growing and the elders are in great need of help with practical matters so they can focus on pastoral ministry. Please pray for wisdom for them to choose the right person and that whoever is hired can immediately begin to help reduce the workload that the elders carry. Secondly, we are excited to share that we’ve found a potential building as a new home for our church. It’s still early stages, but the building search team will present what we know so far to the church on the 12th of January. Please pray for wisdom as they communicate to our church family and for God to open doors for us to move ahead if it’s His will for us.

Thank you for praying for us and Lord willing, we will see you some of you soon! Here are a few photos from the past weeks.

 

Our traditional Christmas morning stocking opening on our bed.

 

After we opened stockings, Joel got dressed up to go do a Christmas Day park run with his friends (they dressed for the occasion!).

 

We went ice skating on New Year’s Eve!

 

It was sweet for all of the older girls to get to do music together at Trinity the week after Christmas. A rare moment that probably won’t happen again for a long time.

 

Some of the family went to Bath on Michael’s birthday.

 

Owen has lots of adoring aunties!

 

All of our children and sons-in-law (to be) on Michael’s birthday!