Christmas we were all together, under one roof, including my mom. I recognized this may not always be possible so I tried to soak it all in — Mom holding her third great grandchild, the (big) kids having a yarn snowball fight (only kind we have here), the grand girls begging to have new books read to them. Mom went back to Maine on New Years Eve day, and Rachel left for the end of her senior year a few days later. The decorations are packed away and the house is quiet with only the two of us under our roof.
On January 2nd I got my extrovert needs met and helped minister to the staff of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. IV held their national staff conference in Orlando! They needed their 1,300 staff to be greeted, registered and sent on to hotel registration. The four of us regularly serve on the registration and information team for Cru’s National Staff Conferences in Colorado.
We (along with three other staff from Cru and eight staff from Wycliffe Bible Translators) worked a long day filled with greeting like-minded believers who have given their lives and livelihoods to the gospel like we have. I came away tired from having fun and deep conversations with IV staff members. The woman sitting on the right (Ella, wearing the beige vest) has been on Cru staff 43 years. We loved hearing her stories in between rushes of registrants.
US Cru staff members all got an email last month containing difficult news — Cru will no longer be holding its National Staff Conferences in Fort Collins, Colorado. We are heartbroken. Andy and I love being in Colorado, at the foot of the Rockies, close to so many beautiful places to explore, and fun places where we’ve made memories with our girls. We have close friends who live there. I don’t think the reality of this decision will hit us until we are packing up to work in a new city. Where will we be in 2021? That decision has not yet been finalized. Contracts are still being drawn up. I think Maui 2021 has a nice ring to it.
We’d love your prayers for family:
Andy—Continued wisdom in leading his teams. Good management of people as well as projects.
Catherine—Balance as I work from the office as well as at home.
Kevin and Cady—Balance of their work lives and home lives, health for them and the girls.
Zach and Becca—Continued success in their work (Zach was
chosen Teacher of the Year at his school) and health for them and Murphy.
Rachel—It is her last lacrosse season, and she needs to be
making lots of decisions about the year to come. Pray for her health (no major injuries) and ability to see God’s leading.
The Kelloggs 