Merry Christmas!
Rejoice!
Isaiah 61:10
I delight greatly in the Lord.
My soul rejoices in my God.
For He has clothed me with
garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a
robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns
his head like a priest, and
as a bride adorns
herself with her jewels.
Thank you all for your continued love and friendship. May this season bring blessing to your hearts and lives.
2018 has been good in the Jerozal family. Not without its challenges in the journey, but surprises and peace along the way despite them.
Jas is in 8th grade and growing up....literally UP. He has now grown past his Mama. He has done really well academically and embracing the challenge of a greater homework and academic load this year. Integral to who he is is his need to be active. Cross country and soccer have provided structure to that need, and he is pursuing new physical endeavors. More on that in next year's letter. In addition, he and his teachers are further discovering his leadership and public speaking skills. Jas continues to enjoy serving pre-school aged kids at church and willingly joins us in different family serving opportunities. How cool it is to witness the emergence of a young man with good character and good friends. We pray he carries this through and is strengthened by God in these things through manhood.
Ang is in 6th grade this year. Yes, we have TWO middle schoolers. How'd that happen?! Transitioning has been fairly easy for Ang, who is very much enjoying this new school year and setting. She too is testing out and uncovering different abilities. She debuted in her first play, Night At the Wax Museum as 72-year-old Ivy Sweet. As parents, we go in with bated breath to seeing her perform in front of a crowd. But both in the summer when she sang a solo in a local musical production, and when she performed in the school play this year, we were excited, surprised, and relieved that she does very well in these areas. She is definitely talented. Through these avenues, she also has made and enjoys new friends while continuing to be loyal to and grateful for her long-time friends. Her giftedness in violin goes on and is maturing, and this year she has moved up to the next orchestra level in the Elgin Youth Symphony orchestra (EYSO). They've had their first concert in November and it was lovely! She also began serving in the nursery with 2-year olds on Sundays, and those toddlers love her.
JJ has had a very full year. He and I did retrieve a little bit of margin in our schedules as we rolled off the church elder board after our four-year term. With those extra minutes, he is able to serve as president of a non-profit started by a friend of ours to raise money for our BD partner CSS and their ministries. In addition to the many ebbs and flows in his job at Nicor Gas/ Southern Co that he leads and his team effectively through, he participates in an employee focus group with interests in southeast Asia and is able to highlight CSS there too. His admirable leadership skills extend beyond work, and he led a team of 11 of us to BD to visit with CSS and our sponsored children there. You can read about that in detail in previous blog posts on this site. JJ's gifts of leadership, encouragement and wisdom shone and our whole team found it easy to follow and trust him. In the few other moments of margin in his life, he grows in his personal faith, enjoys gardening and harvesting, and is trying to unravel the mystery of the two middle-schoolers in our home, with their moods and concerns.
As for me, this year has provided a little more personal space and I endeavor to make the most of it. I am still meeting with my Syrian friend to encourage her English skills. I've joined a Tues AM Bible study with a great group of down to earth gals, while JH and I also maintain our place in the couple's group we've been part of for years. The rest of open space in my time has allowed some new things. I have really enjoyed rallying women to grow and serve together. I've been able to participate and sometimes host group discussions over thought provoking books and how the concepts in them impact our lives. Together we also serve friends going through challenging times. The prayer and support we all feel gets us through some of the deep valleys we each walk through. I am grateful for this community. Our longest time friends are now scattered throughout the U.S. now, but we still stay close and prioritize visits . None of us know what's ahead, but we each trust our good God to provide what we need, even through hard things.
Thank you for your part in our lives. We are deeply grateful.
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