Joyeux Noël!Merry Christmas!
It has been an exciting year in our new home. We moved to Cheyenne on Valentine's Day. I don't think we'll make that a tradition, but it did help to mark the date. Jake's family came with to help us, and we were also met by several helping hands from the church when we arrived. We soon discovered that helping people move in and out is a regular part of life here in Cheyenne. The biggest contributor to that is the Air Force base in town. The wonderful thing about that base is that it has brought friends into our lives that we would never had met without it. The tough part about that base is that we will regularly be saying good-bye to them as well. Nevertheless, we have both been blessed by new and wonderful friendships. Although we've not even been here a year, we already feel a strong sense of community and support.
Jake has taken on a number of different roles at our new church. For starters, this is the first time that he has been able to focus on adult Sunday School, which has become a venue that he really enjoys. He has also become the AWANA Commander (children's program) this Fall, after just having his first night as an AWANA helper in the Spring. Fortunately, he has had a lot of seasoned veterans to help him through. Perhaps the ministry that Jake has felt most blessed by though, is a men's morning reading and prayer group that he began this Fall. While studying the lives and teachings of saints from the past, these men encourage and challenge one another to grow in their relationships with God.
In the meantime, Caroline has also had plenty of new experiences. She worked at Starbucks until the summer - by far her most fun temporary job ever! There she got well acquainted with the 'down town' Cheyenne usuals & their favorite beverages. Her plan for the fall was to apply for a teaching job, but God had other plans (as He often does). After volunteering for four months at LifeChoice Pregnancy Care Center, she was offered a position as the Client Services Coordinator, overseeing clients & volunteers. This job has confirmed her desire to pursue her studies in counseling. God has opened her eyes to many needs (physical, emotional & spiritual) in the community, and she feels privileged to be a small part of the great work that He is doing there.
We have also enjoyed exploring our surroundings. Moving near the Rockies has been a treat for a boy from the plains, and a familiar friend for Caroline, who like Mr. Bilbo, longed to see mountains again. But our exploration that yielded the most breath-taking sights came on our joint family vacation to Yellowstone. Hard to believe that all-contained in the Northwest quadrant of Wyoming is such a wide variety of formations, colors and wildlife. Oh yeah, it was also great to have our families together once again. We're thankful that the Swiss-American relations are still strong!
Praying that you will know God's amazing love for you this Christmas.
Because He first loved us,
Jake & Caroline
jacob_merriman@hotmail.com; carolinelmerriman@gmail.com; jcmerriman@blogspot.org
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