Autor: Banda Eko | Publicado: 2008-12-20T11:16:00-08:00

Christmas/ New Year´s Newsletter ´08Hello everybody!!!Merry Christmas and an “EARLY” Happy New Year!!! HahaAll around the world gifts are being sold, being purchased and even being exchanged, but the greatest gift of Christmas is our savior Jesus Christ without whom no Christmas celebration would have a meaning. In Christmas we celebrate the gift that was not sold but freely given by God. Purchased? Definitely not! How much money do we have to afford to buy something from God, not even Bill Gates!!! The gift of salvation came to earth on that day!! But coming as a possible exchange He gave His life and bought us at such a high price.“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”It’s free!!! And it’s the only gift that lasts forever!!! Enjoy Him with your loved ones!! Enjoy each other in this special season!!Merry Christmas!!!!!Our prayer for all of you for 2008-2009, our partners and friends, who are more like family, from across the globe, is that we would be thankful for this year. Give thanks to God for every moment of this year that is about to leave us for good. It was a crazy year for us with many challenges, choices, dreams, failures, and victories that have made this a very special year and we’re sure it was the same for you!  Actually, what year, month, week, or day of our lives, doesn’t surprise us with something… good or bad.  That’s why we trust and give everything back to Him who never leaves His throne of mercy and grace. He is so much better than anything good we could ever experience and far more trustworthy than we could ever wish to be to ourselves and to others. So whatever happened in 2008, give it to Him, just give it to Him!!Thank Him for the great moments you will share with your family, the issues you will solve with yourself and with others, the unanswerable questions that will be answered and the doubts that will remain.  Thank Him that life is not about knowing every detail or where we’re going or what we’re doing but to know as much as possible about this infinite God of endless beauty and mysteries.So let’s give thanks!! Let’s give thanks for 2008 that has gone bye and whatever is going to happen next year… let’s thank Him in advance.“Father, we thank you for everything that has happened in 2008, and even though we have no clue what could happen next year in our lives, we thank you the same, we thank you in advance. We know that your plans are greater, that your thoughts are thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give us a hope and a future. Thank you, for who you are, thank you so much for your love for us. Thank you for what you will do in 2009. Thank You!”Thanks all of y’all!!! As we would say in Kentucky, Georgia and Texas!! HahaWe love y’all!! Thanks for being a part of our lives and for being in our hearts during this special time!!Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year full of blessings!Peace and LuvFrom your Brazilian friendsJesuan and ArielaHere are some pics of a family trip, and dad´s bday party on Dec 19th. The last one is a pic of a visit at a family friend´s home.