Merry Christmas!!

Hey everyone! Again, I must apologize for the millennium that has passed since my last update, and there's really no excuse besides the fact that the last thing I wanted to do at the end of a 10 hour day on my computer was spend another hour on my-- you guessed it!-- computer. My lack of communication, however, didn't change the fact that I was thinking of and praying for my loved ones back home often during the last semester of school. I just wanted to write a quick update and let everyone know that I have just graduated from the School of Biblical Studies in Taipei, Taiwan. I wanted to take this opportunity to say a huge thanks for all of your prayers and support over the last 15 months through my Discipleship Training School, my time in Thailand, and finally, my School of Biblical Studies in Taiwan. I can quite honestly say that without so many people behind me, encouraging and praying for me, I never would have made it. God made incredibly huge provisions for me this year that got me from point A (hating reading the bible and totally missing the point of a relationship with God) to point B (loving the bible and coming away totally passionate about the Word and the God who wrote it). I made unforgettable friends and even found a new family in Taiwan, but I am very ready for the next amazing step God has for me.

My takeaways from the school are many- here are a few: I gained an incredible love and appreciation for God's word and the study of it, I got a better concept of who God is and that he never changes, and finally, I got a taste of what it is like to have an eternal perspective on life and, that in mind, am able to trust God with a freer, more open hand than ever before, and I only pray that he continues to grow that in me every day of my life to come.

I am now back safely in the states, had a wonderful pre-Christmas Christmas celebration with Mom, Dad, Katie, David and Ryan at Katie and Ryan's house on the Peninsula near Seattle, WA. It was so great to be back with my family once again, I missed them more than I could say while I was gone. I am now on the Eastside of Seattle getting settled into the place I will call home for a while (a long while, I hope). I welcome your continued prayers as I settle into this new time of life, as I move into my new place and as I search for a job. I have already had one job interview, at a Chinese Preschool in Redmond, but I'm not sure if that's the direction I want to go. As I am thinking and praying about what's next for me, I am trying to settle into something more permanent and challenging, hopefully with an emphasis in Chinese. (If you have any ideas, feel free to send them my way).

My music recommendation for Christmas this year is the Carpenter's Christmas album :) I hope that you all are having a blessed time with friends and family this Holiday season and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Love,

Anne