As our family reflected on the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, we realized that it felt different because of the Covid pandemic. For example in this past Christmas, there were no outreach parties with lots of people. No long tables with plentiful food. And no gifts to hand out and Christmas skits to perform. This would be typical of a Thai Christmas Sunday service or outreach. Yet, we are thankful that the Thai churches are starting to open up again and that people are gathering for worship.

This past Christmas one of the main themes for our family was that great joy comes from the Good News (Luke 2:10) – a joy that does not depend on our circumstances and what we can do, but depends on the power of God and what He has already done! This is a life lesson that our family has been learning, even our youngest son (age 7) who shared the following:

“This year it felt hard because of Covid. I couldn’t go anywhere so I felt bored. But God helped me with making a new friend in the neighborhood, and his name is JJ. I ride around on my scooter with him a lot, and pretend we are in a Minecraft world. I thank God for my new friend, and I hope JJ and his family will learn about Jesus. Then they can have joy like me, too!”