What a year 2016 has been! Wow! This year has been loaded with change and transition. Let's go back to August 2015. I was at a place in my work with Bethany Christian Services that I was feeling the need to find a job that was more. Clock in/clock out, a "mommy" job with daytime hours. Well, I posted on Facebook that I was looking for such a job and left it up for just a couple of hours and in that short time, my friend Nathan Edberg inboxed me about a job. The job was an office manager position at a Christian Life Assembly in Willimantic. Pastor Richard Lafferty was the interviewer. I got the job! Long story short, Donnie got the job there as the Sr Pastor!! The welcoming celebration service was on January 31, 2016.
Although Willimantic is only 30 minutes from where we lived before, our move was still filled with many goodbyes. Goodbye to our 11 years at Crossroads Community Cathedral, Bowers Elementary School, our home and the many friends the kids had nearby. It was very exciting to embark upon this amazing opportunity to pastor a church but still sad in many respects.
So, Donnie is the Sr Pastor at Christian Life Assembly! They call me Pastor Jen and I even got to do the Easter Sunday sermon as Donnie was in TX doing his sister, Clara's wedding. We love our church. The people are amazing, genuine, loving servants! We are having a blast serving this community for God's Kingdom sake! Noah and Elia are going to the Catholic school in town, Saint Mary's Saint Joseph's and Liliana is currently homeschooled.
Elia turned 6 and is learning to read. She still loves all things vicious but also enjoys nail polish, dolls and blush on her cheeks ever now and then.
Noah turned 9 and is in the knitting club at school. So cool. He loves Minecraft, Peanuts comics and The Legend of Zelda.
Liliana switched on to double digits when she turned 10 in March. We had a fun girly dance party! She still loves to write and draw. She is always in creative mode. She is training for a half-marathon with an amazing godly woman from our church.
Donnie's sister, Patsy, aka Aunt Patsy moved in with us in July of this year. She is a blessing to all of us and our church in many ways. She is super funny and and a very talented interior decorator.
I had a big birthday this year!! I turned 40! Wooh! I was showered with love, Birthday songs and gifts by the family and church. So thankful!
I starred in our church play, One Quiet Night. I played the role of the stressed out mom/wife who finally found peace in the true meaning of Christmas.
Courtney visited us 3 times this year!!! Wow!! She came in March and was here for Liliana's big birthday. She and I also spend a night in Newport, RI and toured the Mansions. It was very special. She joined us for a Caribbean Cruise in October that was gifted to us by a couple Donnie married a couple of years ago. Then she came here for the week of Thanksgiving with her boyfriend, Daniel. He just proposed to her on Thursday, December 29. She said YES!
So, 2017, we look forward to spending each day with gratitude and anticipation of God's Hand at work in our lives! We are ready to serve more selflessly and grow in Christ's unconditional love for each other and for the world around us.
