Merry Christmas 2023!

 

Reverend Matt

 When Matt was invited to fill in for a church about 90 miles away from our home for a couple of Sundays last summer, we had no idea where it would lead. We love the people at The Christian Life Church of Milton, and they love us, and after they invited Matt to be the permanent pastor, his mentor, Dr. Roy Lauter (who got him into this in the first place) encouraged him to pursue ordination through New Hope International Ministries. (This is the organization through which we have travelled around the world serving on short-term mission teams, and for which Matt serves as Chair of the Board of Directors.) Matt completed the process, was unanimously approved by the NHIM Board, and a special ceremony was held at our church on Sunday, December 10th, to commemorate the ordination.

Dr. Lauter examined and charged Matt before the congregation.

Several NHIM Board members came to the service and participated in the laying on of hands.

Matt and Amy with members of the NHIM Board

Family who made the trip for the service

Dear friends Steve & Pam, with whom we have served in Guatemala

Sarah & Cazavion, who have become family to us

Michael & Rebecca - friends who came for the service

Jim, who traveled with Matt when he was in music ministry in college, surprised us by coming all the way from eastern Kentucky!

It was a very special day for us, and we felt very loved and supported by our family, friends, NHIM Board, and Milton Church family.

You can watch the video of the ceremony here. The ceremony begins at the 55-minute mark. Matt's sermon is at minute 26.

Amy Shares Chapel Message

 Amy was asked to speak about her work in adoption in a chapel service at Kentucky Mountain Bible College. Here is her message:

18-Year Olds!

 Essie and Chloe are 18! What lovely young women they are becoming!

Birthday cake by Dad - dark chocolate peanut butter

Birthday shirts

Birthday dinner at Taste of India!

New Adventure

Sometimes life can take you in new directions quite unexpectedly. This summer I helped provide some preaching for the Christian Life Church of Milton, KY.  We have enjoyed getting to know the good folks there, and the pastor search committee asked me to consider staying on. Today, on what was supposed to be my last Sunday, the church voted me in as their Pastor. We will be making the 90-mile journey from Wilmore up to Milton each week, and we are looking forward to what God has in store.

Art & Ethiopian Food in Cincinnati

 

With A.J. in town for a couple of weeks' leave, we took a family day to Cincinnati to visit the Cincinnati Art Museum and eat some Ethiopian food. Here are some photos from our day and some of our favorite pieces of art.

Kehinde Wiley

Bowl of Darius the Great, from Ancient Persia

Essie and Chloe in the "Damascus Room"

Laughter at a likely inappropriate joke from Dad

Scene of Cincinnati - December 1935

Painting of the art museum building as it appeared in 1927

A.J. in contemplation

"The Underground Railroad"

"Guard of the Harem", by Frank Duvenal

Warhol

Essie imitates the Cameroon mask

Diego Rivera

Picasso

Picasso

Gaugin

Van Gogh

Monet

The left side of this ceramic piece is patterns from nature: a wave, a galaxy, a hurricane, growth rings, a magnetic field; the right side is human thumbprints.

Altarpiece with scenes from the Old and New Testaments

Tribute to St. Peter

Bust of Phyllis Wheatley

One of Chloe's favorite pieces - "The Silk Merchant, Japan"

Tiffany lamp

One of Dad's favorite artists - Henry Ossawa Tanner

Enjoying some Ethiopian food at the Elephant Walk restaurant

All in all, a beautiful day, and a great way to spend some time as a family out of the oppressive heat.