Touched

I don't know about you, but I CRAVE fellowship with others....I may be a true introvert and may cherish my quiet time at home with my books and my family, but if I did that all day every day, loneliness would consume me! Some of us are married, some are single, but no matter if we have a spouse or not, I believe we were each made to truly need someone. Even Paul (one of the greatest missionaries/evangelists of all times) was single, but had the gift of the Holy Spirit to aid him, as well as the fellowship of believers in nearly every city he travelled to who embraced and welcomed him....who lifted his spirits and blessed him with deep rooted connections in the short time he would stay with them. Our front door has been a daily reminder to me this christmas season of how truly important connecting with others is. With each card that arrived in the mail, our family received updates on loved ones and images of children who are growing (btw: could you please tell your precious children that Mrs. Lindsey said to STOP THAT????!!!!). It's been an incredible blessing to connect with all of you and I'm so thankful you thought of us. In fact, we took all of our Christmas stuff down yesterday (sigh), but the cards remain....not sure how long they'll stay, but for now, I'm just not ready to take down all of your beautiful smiling faces!!!

This year, one of the biggest blessings was a gift that Jenny (Chad's sister) gave on behalf of Shepherd, Rauly and Lillie Anna. For Christmas, she purchased two soccer balls for a community of children, 3 ducks for a family, and a bunny for another family. We aren't sure which country these gifts were going to, but we know that the community and families receiving these gifts will GREATLY appreciate them. The children receiving the soccer balls have been known to make balls out of leaves, trash and other miscellaneous items they could find on the ground....to see the joy on the kids faces when they see those soccer balls would be PRICELESS. And the families receiving the animals will be given the means to provide for themselves...not only to feed their families, but to potentially make a living off of selling eggs and protein. When the kids opened each card, I was touched. Knowing that Jenny was providing a way for our family to reach out and connect with people across the world and touch them in ways that will truly bless them. WHAT A GIFT! So, thank you Jenny! You have started a new tradition, I think. For anyone interested in touching someone's life in the same way Jenny did, check out World Vision - they're an incredible organization who are actively working to make a lasting difference in the lives of people who desperately need to be touched!