Saturday, December 18, 2021

Christmas 2021 Update


 ABC’s of Anderson Christmas

A.      A is for Anina who took a job transfer within Beacon and is no longer working at Elkhart General Hospital. She is working at Paragon Clinic in South Bend where she is the RN Wellness Coach. A is also for a new Anderson (See D.) A is for Abel who turned one this past June. A is also for apple picking – we were surprised to learn that John had never done it before this past fall!

B.      B is for busy boy. Abel is a climber; he keeps Elizabeth busy. B is also for Belize where some of our SonSet® radios were distributed.

C.       C is for Cornerstone Vineyard is where Tyler works/serves full time. C is also for Christian County where the newly married Andersons live.

D.      D is for David and Dominique who married December 11 (three D’s there.) D is for daughters and a new daughter-in-law. D is also for Donation Services where Jean has the primary role.

E.       E is for Elizabeth and Eleanor. Elizabeth is a great stay-at-home homeschooling mom. Eleanor turned five this year and is doing very well in school.

F.       F is for flower girl. Eleanor was the flower girl in David and Dominique’s wedding. She took the job seriously. F is also for Friends and Family – we are so grateful for you all and were so happy many of you could be at the wedding.

G.      G is for Grandpa and Grandma who sold their home in Elkhart and moved into Hubbard Hill assisted living. They put a lot of hard work down-sizing and now have a cozy two-bedroom apartment.

H.      Homeschooling is part of the Turner household; Elizabeth is very good at it, and the kids are doing well.  H is also for Hom; the Hom family is a big part of our lives, and we love it.

I.         I is for Illinois.  David and Dominique have bought a house in Taylorville, Illinois. Illinois is where most of Jean’s nieces and nephews live. I is also for IUSB (see T.)

J.        J is for many things. JR was able to come to Illinois and be David’s best man. John and Jean both took on additional roles at SonSet Solutions, which began April 2021. Jamie is unofficially Abel’s nickname. J is also for JOY that we feel as we remember what Jesus has done to redeem us.

K.       K is for kids: especially grandkids. It is the BEST being grandparents (should this go under G?) K is also for Kijani Farm, a ministry partner in rural Kenya that has one of SonSet Solutions’ Solar Media Center (two K’s!)

L.       Lifeline Youth in Elkhart is one of the local (another L) ministries Jean was able to return to this year. L is also for lions – JR also works with lions and other big cats, as well, now.

M.    Micah will turn seven at the end of this month. He is a smart boy and a cheerful worker at home with his chores. M is also for McCoy Memorial Baptist Church where John and Jean have attended since fall of 2010.

N.      N is for Ninja classes. Micah enjoys these classes quite a lot. N is for new job for Anina (See A.)

O.      O is for old. Sometimes John and Jean are tired. We can still do things, but it takes longer to recover sometimes.

P.       P is for many things, too. Personnel is the additional job that John took on – in addition to IT, software development and chaplain. P is for Peter who is a great dad. P is also for “pizza hands” and “pie hands” which Eleanor uses in tumbling. P is also for Penny, John’s aunt, who has been living in Elkhart to help transition Grandpa and Grandma.

Q.      Q is for questions that grandchildren ask such as: “How much Chinese are we?” “PoPo, why didn’t you celebrate Halloween?” (Q could be for inQuisitive grandchildren, too.)

R.      R is for recovery. (See O for old.) R is also for recruitment! We continue to need workers for the harvest. We have two new apprentices who are raising their support team; we also have two workers who are raising support for work with SonSet Solutions. R is for Reader! Micah has been able to read chapter books for some time!

S.       S is for SonSet Solutions. During the first three quarters of 2021, SonSet assisted 97 ministries in 40 countries via equipment, service, consultation, training, and partnership development. S is also for supporters. We have a fabulous support team, and we are thankful for the many prayers and gifts so we can serve!

T.       T is for Tyler. Tyler is busy. He works full time at Cornerstone Vineyard and goes to IUSB part time.

U.      UPS is where Peter works. It is a busy season for UPS workers right now. U is also for Uganda where SonSet Solutions has several partners.

V.      V is for violin, which Jean still gets to play now and then at church. V is also for vacation goals and Vermont where neither Jean nor John have been. V is also for volunteers, of whom we host a number of during the year.

W.    W is for work. We all have steady work and are grateful to the Lord for His provision. W is also for workers for the harvest (see R.) W is also for wedding (see D.)

X.       X is for x-ray. We are glad to say no one had to have any of those this year, except for dental ones.

Y.       Y is for youth ministry. John and Jean work with the young adults. Jean works with VBS and Word of Life Gopher Buddies and Lifeline as well.

Z.       Z is for zookeeper. John continues to work at the Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City, Kansas. He is the zookeeper for the lemurs and ambassador animals and sometimes the big cats.

Merry Christmas!

Love from John and Jean