december 2023.

Hello friends and family! I hope you’ve all had a lovely Christmas and start to the New Year. May you grow closer to Christ this year and deeper in your understanding of His precepts. In Nairobi, the weather is wonderful this month. Warmth and sunshine during this month is just the best! Here’s a photo from an outdoor fitness class happening at the mall. Christmas sure looks different from how I grew up. Northern Saskatchewan was definitely always covered in snow and cold air. I am grateful for all of the fun memories in the snow, but I have to say I do not miss the cold. God knew what He was doing bringing me to a tropical place!

Here are some things that I had going on this month! First off, in my class this year, the students and I focused on unpacking the story of the coming of Christ. We looked through the Old Testament and examined the prophecies foretold of the Savior who was to come. We read Luke 2 every day this month. I enjoyed hearing the students’ different takeaways and responses to this Scripture each day. We even did a fun writing prompt from the perspective of the donkey that carried Mary to Bethlehem. Oh what fun teaching grade 3 is! The students participated in a nativity skit which included many dancing sheep haha! What a beautiful gift to teach children from a young age about the importance of this season and invite them into God’s story.

Following with tradition, I was able to bring my market friends food for Christmas – thanks to your help! This year, with the rise in inflation, I decided instead of giving my friends one special meal, I would give them food hampers filled with the essentials to give them many meals with their families (oil, rice, four, salt, beans, bread, etc.). In addition to food, I was able to give away 20 Bibles to various market friends, security guards, and other friends. I am so thankful for how these friendships have grown and developed over the years. I am now seeing the fruit of my work in building these relationships. As with any ministry, it takes time to build trust and I am so glad that my friends were all so excited to receive a gift for them to learn more about the Jesus I’m always praising! Thank you for making it happen.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of this, but I did manage to take one of a few of the Bibles wrapped up.

Additionally, I was able to spend the end of the month and finish off the year with my best friend. Her friendship is the best gift! For those who don’t know, I met Meganne six years ago at my first teaching job in BC. The second year, we were roommates, and we both moved across the world at the same time – myself to Kenya and her to Malaysia – both teaching with the same International Christian organization. She came to visit me last Christmas, so getting to start and end the year with her was such a God-gift! I will be eternally grateful for this soul sister of mine. It is rare to have someone you feel fully seen, known, and loved with, and for me that friend is Meganne. I am starting the year feeling refreshed and filled. Thank you Lord for incredible friends!

Lastly, I have chosen to have a focus word this year. I chose the word “free” as a reminder and challenge to live in the freedom Christ has given me. I want to discover deeper levels of freedom in Christ. As I have been thinking of how I want to live this out, I began by reading the definition of the word “free” and found many descriptions. Here were some:

-no longer confined or imprisoned

-without cost or payment

-not under the control of another

-release from slavery

-remove something restrictive

I then took some time diving into what Scripture has to say about freedom and here were some verses I found.

-It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. (Gal 5:1)

-So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36)

-For you were called to freedom (Gal 5:13)

-Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Cor 3:17)

-And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32)

-Live as people who are free (1 Pet 2:16)

-Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. (Ps 118:5)

-You have been set free from sin (Rom 6:18)

-That the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Rom 8:21)

-I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. (Ps 119:45)

This is just the start of my journey of discovering all of the freedom in store for me in Christ. I would love to hear from some of you! What are your goals, resolutions, or focuses for this new year?

May God be with you. Many blessings,

-j.