The best Christmas present we gave to our own family was a trip to visit some missionary friends who live in the cloud forest (high altitude jungle) about two hours outside of Quito. We tagged along with them on their Christmas box deliveries to poor and remote villages (each box containing food to feed a family for about two weeks). What a powerful reminder to be grateful for the abundance in our own lives!
Anytime I (Beth) am faced with such stark inequalities, I struggle to understand why some of us have so much and some so little. I know that greater generosity is one response that God is calling our family to. But I also see that the suffering in the world requires the response of the entire community of God's people. He calls us to different careers and countries and pastimes, but as we each put our all into living lives that point to Christ, God will orchestrate our actions to bring his hope and mercy and love to the world.
So with deep gratitude, we thank all of you for pointing us to Christ this year with your prayers and giving and encouraging words. And our prayer is that all of us will point more clearly to Christ in the year ahead.
Happy 2011, Dear Friends!
Love from Dave, Beth, Levi, Luke, Aaron and Evangeline
