Merry Christmas!

Christmas greetings to you all from the bungalow :-)

Back when the tree had leaves...
Now: No leaves, No snow. Winter?

A very blessed Christmas season to you all! We hope these days and weeks of advent have been a wonderful time of fellowship and shared joy. Zach and I enjoyed a Skype date at my family’s Christmas celebration, and I saw parents, brothers, nieces and nephew, and an aunt and uncle. It was lovely :-) The kiddos couldn't stop making faces at the camera, and were particularly impressed by the werewolf transformation feature of my computer’s visual effects. Technology sure can make distances feel smaller! My Mom and Dad will be visiting Malaysia in two weeks as well. We are excited to show them around, and the four of us will also be taking a holiday to Thailand. Life is good!

As a married couple both going into ministry, and necessarily completing internship at two different churches, Zach and I received a wonderful Christmas Eve gift of being able to attend worship together for the first time in 4 ½ months. Bangsar didn’t have a Christmas Eve midnight service, but Luther House did – so we got to usher in the day together with candles and joyful praise. We are continuing to grow and learn what this call to ministry means for both of us, and are being equipped each day by the grace of God. This was a lovely treat though :-D

One thing we have enjoyed in Malaysia is the beautiful concept of hosting open houses during the festivals. We attended one shortly after arriving, for the Muslim Hari Raya festival (New Year), and there were also similar opportunities during the Hindu Deepavali (festival of lights). For Christmas it is the Christians who open their homes and share food and fellowship. Some invite friends and family, and others open their homes to anyone who wishes to come. It is certainly difficult to go hungry! We continue to enjoy the hospitality and fellowship that is such a gift of the culture here.

Buddy can't be Malaysian - he doesn't like people.
He is the house's dog, but he still won't let us near...
But he has a cute ear!

Also, on Christmas day, the Lutheran Church of Malaysia hosted a High Tea with the Prime Minister of Malaysia and other dignitaries. Although Zach and I didn’t manage to cram the event into the busy week, it was an interesting opportunity. There were about 1,000 in attendance, and the event is an annual one that is hosted by different Christian church organizations each year, and is sponsored by the government. Bishop Lok was able to raise awareness of some issues and challenges.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/church-leaders-happy-with-najibs-pledge-but-wary-it-wont-trickle-down/    (hold control when you click and it will open a new window)

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/i-am-pm-for-all-najib-tells-christians/ 

(The parliament is due to call for an election by April 26th, with a 60-day grace period, and many in Malaysia have been waiting two years for this. Tensions are high in many cases, and patience is low. Please keep the country in your prayers as things may escalate as time goes on. – We are safe though. - )

We hope this finds you well! God’s peace to you as we usher in the new year. May you grow in the fullness of God’s grace each new day.

Emily

I loved growing up on Steamboat Bay/Steamboat Loop -
and recently discovered another wonderful use of "Steamboat"!
Steamboat is a meal where you have a boiling pot and throw tastiness into it: so many different
kinds of sea food and meats and mushrooms and greens and what-not.  Very tasty!
And such a fun means of fellowship :-D
A big thanks to Shirley Tan & family for the introduction!