Scripture

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. - Romans 12:10-13 (NKJV)

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Christmas Letter 2019


Grab a cup of tea or coffee and get caught up with us.

2019 has been a year filled with change.  Little did we know on January 1st all of the changes we would go through.  Andrew visited his parents in January to see how his father’s health was doing regarding his cancer re-occurrence.  The cancer had returned in less than a year and with a vengeance.  It became apparent during that trip that time was of the essence. 

Upon his return to New Zealand, Andrew and I prayed for guidance on what we should do.  We both felt led to move back to Minnesota to be with his parents for the remainder of his father’s life and to be of assistance to his mother, Gerry.  There was so much going on and both of his parents were pretty warn out from the health struggle.

Once the decision was made, the next step was to share with the leadership team and staff at the school that we needed to move back to the States.  God totally took care of all of the needs at the school.  He brought a new admin on staff that semester and I had a week to train her with all that I did.  Andrew’s classes were taken care of – either by another teacher taking them on or they were cancelled.  Everything lined up, but the hardest part was saying good-bye as this wasn’t just a bit of an extended visit to the States, but rather good-bye until the Lord crosses our paths again.  So many tears and so much love.  We had a new assignment and we chose to walk the path of obedience.

Upon our arrival in the frigid great north, we were greeted by snow and lots of it.  His parents welcomed us into their home and it was so good to see them again.  We had two wonderful weeks with Andrew’s father, Brice, before his journey took a sharp turn towards eternity.  On March 8th, Brice took his last breath here and his first breath in the presence of God Almighty.  The military honor service and the memorial service at the church were both touching and memorable.  He lived a life well lived and was dearly loved by many.

We settled into his mother’s house for a while until we had jobs.  Finding a job was not the easiest thing, nor rather the quickest.  We hunted for weeks and weeks.  We prayed for God to open the doors to where He wanted us and to keep the doors closed where He didn’t want us.  He was absolutely faithful as we surrendered once again our lives to His will.  Andrew was invited to join a call center team as a manager at Wells Fargo.  I was headhunted by a temp agency for an executive admin position for the president of seed company.  Literally God kept those doors closed until the one He deemed appropriate for us came up. 

Having jobs gave us the opportunity to start preparing to get a place of our own.  We considered renting, but looking at apartment complexes that were within our acceptable livability, a studio apartment with two garage spots (which is necessary up in Minnesota) was running over $1,400.  A studio!!  So we relooked at the possibility of buying a townhouse.  We made our wish list of features and started our hunt. 

We found a couple of townhouses that were acceptable and prayed again.  Lord, please guide us.  We found one we really liked and it felt like home.  Unfortunately, the seller accepted a higher bid.  We kept looking but comparing it to the one we loved.  The owner came back to us and wondered if we were still interested and we re-established our bid and it was accepted.  We moved in at the end of September and it has been a blessing!!

Dawn’s mother had loaned us a vehicle in March to help us get on our feet.  After the purchase of the townhouse, the next item to buy was a vehicle so we could return the loaner to her mom.  It was a blessing to have a second vehicle, especially while job hunting.  We are grateful to her and her husband for their generosity.  We found a CRV that fit the bill for Dawn and she is enjoying how it handles in the snow and cold.  Andrew bought his father’s truck before he passed and has enjoyed the height and comfort a truck can give.

The transition back to the US has not been easy.  We have been mourning two great things, the passing of Andrew’s father, and the closure of a dream and ministry that we loved so dearly.  Have you ever felt so a part of something that you just move in the groove with it?   Don’t misunderstand.  Ministry is hard and taxing, but when you love what you do, you don’t mind how taxing it can be.  Coming back to the States left a big void in both of us.  What do we do now?  We serve where we work and we are starting to serve at the church we attend.
Oh yeah, church hunting.  Finding a church that we felt at home and able to grow with was one challenge we didn’t anticipate.  Had the church changed so much in the three years we were gone?  We attended many churches and hoped more than once that we had found our home.  Sometimes it took a few visits to know if a particular church was home or not.  We have landed at a church where it’s not quite home, but God is meeting us, feeding us, repairing us, and building us back up.  We found a place where we can give back and we will see what He does through us. 

Through all of the things we have experienced this year, we have a few things we want for you.  May you find a church home where you feel safe, strengthened in the Lord and in the power of His Word.  May you know that you are loved and deeply cared about, even with your flaws.  No one is perfect, only Christ.  May you know that failure is not fatal and trying is worth it even if you fail.  May you know the love that Jesus has for you, even just a little more.. for His love knows no bounds and He never changes.  He is the same Jesus that healed the lame and made the deaf to hear.  He is the same Jesus that took the fish and loaves and fed the 5,000.  He is trustworthy, even when you are hurting, ESPECIALLY when you are hurting.  May you know that you are never alone, even when it feels like no one is listening and everyone is so far away.  God is right beside you and knows your heart.  He is right there and loves you with an everlasting love.. meaning it has no end. 

We love you and appreciate you!  Merry Christmas from our hearts to yours! 

Dawn and Andrew McBride