Christensen Christmas Letter

In Luke's Gospel, Mary sings the “Magnificat” - her song of thanksgiving. We sing with her as we celebrate the little life that has been added to our family. It is hard to imagine our lives without little Joy. We have always loved the Christmas season, as we remember the birth of Jesus. With Joy, we more fully understand the spirit of celebration with which Mary sang in the Book of Luke. Truly the birth of a child is cause for celebration.

The past year has seen many changes in our family. Emily quit her job in February (after Joy was born). She now spends her days at home, chasing Joy around the house. Emily has continued teaching, as she is tutoring students in the afternoons. She has also begun attending a “Moms' Group,” where she and Joy have both made a number of new friends.

Brad continues to teach History full time at “International Christian School” here in Hong Kong. He counts himself very fortunate to be teaching in such a vibrant school. Brad reckons his students are among the most respectful and hard-working in the world.

We travel a little less than we used to (for a number of reasons), although we did still squeeze in a trip around the world last summer. In June, we flew from Hong Kong to England, to spend time with the Condie family. Along with Emily’s parents, we took a weekend trip to Ireland, which we regret to say our daughter will likely not remember. From Britain, we flew on to the US & Canada, where spent a month driving up and down the West Coast. Joy grew to hate her car seat, as we racked up over 3,000 miles on our rented car. Needless to say, our return to Hong Kong came as a welcome break to the busyness of the summer.

This Christmas we are packing up our winter clothes and heading to England to visit Emily's family. We are excited about having a “real” Christmas tree, and about the possibility of seeing some snow. We look forward to time with family and roaring fires. We also look forward to Joy's first encounter with the Christmas tree (she is fascinated by flashing lights and shiny objects – we anticipate a great deal of interest in Christmas trees). Jet lag is always a struggle for Joy...which means that it is a struggle for the whole family. Please pray that she is free from the effects of jet-lag this Christmas.

We wish you all health, happiness, and time with family this Christmas. We pray that you will know the love and joy of the Prince of Peace this season.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.” -Isaiah 9:6-7

Love,

Brad, Emily and Joy