Merry Christmas Family and Friends,

It’s always exciting for me to take the time to reflect on this past year and be reminded of some of God’s blessings. This year I’d like to share with you the blessings of God’s provision, our family, and our friends. The first blessing I’d like to share with you is God’s provision. The best provision from God was the gift of Jesus; which is the reason we celebrate Christmas today! God has provided Jesus so that we can have our sins forgiven and have a relationship with our Creator. This is the best news that we could ever hear!

I’m sure you have probably been asked, “Are you ready for Christmas?” When I’ve been asked this question this year, I can satisfactory say, “Yes!!!” because I’m always ready to celebrate and remember that God provided the gift of His Son so long ago in a manger. It’s so wonderful to stop in the busyness of this time of year to really celebrate the reason of Christmas. We all have so many things left to do at this time of year, but I’m ready to celebrate God providing Jesus at Christmas!!

Another way that God has provided for us is by sustaining us. Tim was laid off in a company restructure in January, yet God has provided. God has grown our faith at times and has been gracious to provide our needs. In June, Tim started working full time again at our church as a missionary intern. It’s delightful to minister to people and prepare to be missionaries in Japan. We are pending approval with our mission agency in September 2012.

The second blessing I’d like to share with you is my family. Our boys continue to be boys!! Simon is 7 and has lost his front teeth this year. Isaac is 5 and has learned to ride a bike without training wheels. Elisha is 3 and enjoys speaking some Japanese and learning basics of reading. Tim is still in school. He is almost finished with his Masters degree. I’m making progress towards my Bachelors degree.

The third blessing I’d like to share with you is the friends He has given us. In March, right after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, we were able to meet three students from Japan here in St. Charles. They lived just one block from our house. Then later in the year we have met three more Japanese students. We have been able to develop friendships with them and several have even lived in our home for a little while and have become a special extension of our family.

We do hope that you are able to celebrate Christmas this year remembering that Jesus came to earth to die the perfect sacrifice for our sins. If you don’t know who He is, you can this Christmas! You can be His child. Our family loves and cares for you and your family and will be praying for you!

Merry Christmas! メリークリスマス!

Love Tim, Jenelle, Simon, Isaac, and Elisha McCown

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Galatians 4:4-6