MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I figured posting our Christmas letter would be a good way to get back into the world of blogging. :) (It's pretty long, but it includes Italy, Dellwater, and the year...) I don't know if anybody even reads this anymore, but I really enjoyed posting while we were it Italy, so we'll see what happens. . . Anyway, here is our Christmas letter and some pictures!
Dear family and friends,
Merry Christmas! With a trip to Italy and a college graduation included our year, we decided we should send out our first Christmas letter!
We still call Bemidji home, and even have a house to call “home” for now. An unexpected blessing and change in our plans happened while we were in Italy over the summer. We had planned to live in Oak Hills campus housing for the year and then look for something else, but a house not too far from Oak Hills opened up for rent and we’ve moved in. It has been so much fun!
I (Ellie) returned to my job as a special education paraprofessional at the Early Intervention Center working in a classroom with four-year olds. That age group and those kids in particular have become so dear to my heart; I didn’t expect to love my job so much—another wonderful example of God’s provision and leading. Corey returned to Oak Hills Christian College in the fall and by the time you read this letter he will be done with his coursework and have a B.A. in Biblical Studies and Intercultural Studies! He has worked so hard and I am a very proud wife! (The official ceremony will still be in May.) He has also been working part-time in the maintenance department at Oak Hills and will continue through the spring.
Ministry in Red Lake continues to be a very important part of our lives as well. After returning from Italy in August, we were able to be a part of Camp Dellwater and again see God work through the week. Great memories were made for all. One that sticks out in our minds was hearing a teen from Red Lake who has attended and helped at camp share her hope story of how God has worked in her life with the entire camp. We have never seen the kids that quiet or focused. Please pray for her and that God will continue to use her story! Another time that we thought was significant was when a man from Red Lake came and shared about the power that this generation can have for change in their community through Christ, and that they don’t have to stop being Native American to do it. These are things that we know are important to them and want them to fully grasp onto. Along with working part time at Oak Hills, the plan is for Corey to become more officially involved with Youth for Christ and be able to dedicate consistent time throughout the week to ministry in Red Lake.
As for our summer in Italy, it was a great experience for us and a profitable internship for Corey. We worked closely with the pastor of the Milan Bible Church, Jim Kutnow, and his wife, Lynda. They really helped us to get a look into what ministry is going on in Italy with CrossWorld and a taste of the culture and land of Italy (figuratively and literally J).
We got a chance to visit five different churches in northern Italy and meet the missionaries who are working there and some of the national believers. We feel that we gained valuable insight about ministering and living overseas in a different culture. It was a real joy to be able to meet and spend time with some people from the churches, and even though we couldn’t communicate very well, to have a special connection with them because of our shared love of the Lord. Church growth in Italy is slow and there are many challenges to be faced. This is felt by both the missionaries and the national believers, and it was neat to be used by God to encourage some of these wonderful brothers and sisters in the Lord.
One example was in a small church in Bergamo. Corey preached there with a translator and the people were so gracious and appreciating and told Corey he could preach any time. This church has faced many challenges, but has grown in spite of them and in fact has outgrown their meeting space. Right now they only have one elder, who carries a lot of responsibility with not a lot of support, and also works full time in a factory. He and his wife invited us into their home and we had a wonderful time.
It was a real blessing to be a part of the Milan Bible Church for our entire time there. This church is different, because it is mainly for the large international community and the service is done in English. We got to attend there almost every week, as the services are held in the evening, and were also part of a Bible Study. We met some wonderful people and it was truly a joy to be a part of that fellowship. Corey also preached there, as well as played guitar each week with the music team. The last week of June a team of six from the USA came to lead a Vacation Bible School and we had so much fun being a part of that. There was one group for adults and one for kids, and both were very well attended. The theme for the kids was “Avalanche Ranch” and there was a story and songs, a craft, games, and a snack each night. We had a wide range of ages of kids show up, and it kind of threw us for a loop when most of them were teenagers. Some adjustments had to be made and we didn’t know quite what to expect, but they kept coming back each night and participating in all the activities and genuinely having a good time. Jim said he had never seen some of the smile like he did that week, and that it was the best VBS they have had in 10 years. In later weeks we also had the opportunity to share our testimonies with the youth and encourage them in their faith.
We went to Venice on the east coast and Genoa on the west, and many places in between. It was on our list to go to the “lake district” and we definitely accomplished that; we got to go to all four lakes, including spending our first wedding anniversary on beautiful Lake Como! Two of the churches we visited were in the mountains, which was very different from the big city of Milan and very beautiful. Being in a very big (and very hot) city of 4 million was pretty different for these country kids! There are some great sights to see in Milan, including the Duomo, which is the third largest cathedral in the world. We got opportunities to see many cathedrals, castles, and museums with amazing works of art and architecture throughout our time. Overall it was a valuable time for us where we learned a lot about God, ourselves, and ministry, as well as a new appreciation for home and family.
This is a special time of year to appreciate those things as well, and we truly do. And whether it is in Bemidji, Red Lake, or Italy, the message of Christmas is for everyone and full of hope and joy. Luke 2:18 tells of this message that “all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them.” (NASB) May we never stop wondering at the truth held in the beautiful story that we celebrate.
With love and wonder,
Corey & Ellie St. Peter
Merry Christmas! With a trip to Italy and a college graduation included our year, we decided we should send out our first Christmas letter!
We still call Bemidji home, and even have a house to call “home” for now. An unexpected blessing and change in our plans happened while we were in Italy over the summer. We had planned to live in Oak Hills campus housing for the year and then look for something else, but a house not too far from Oak Hills opened up for rent and we’ve moved in. It has been so much fun!
I (Ellie) returned to my job as a special education paraprofessional at the Early Intervention Center working in a classroom with four-year olds. That age group and those kids in particular have become so dear to my heart; I didn’t expect to love my job so much—another wonderful example of God’s provision and leading. Corey returned to Oak Hills Christian College in the fall and by the time you read this letter he will be done with his coursework and have a B.A. in Biblical Studies and Intercultural Studies! He has worked so hard and I am a very proud wife! (The official ceremony will still be in May.) He has also been working part-time in the maintenance department at Oak Hills and will continue through the spring.
Ministry in Red Lake continues to be a very important part of our lives as well. After returning from Italy in August, we were able to be a part of Camp Dellwater and again see God work through the week. Great memories were made for all. One that sticks out in our minds was hearing a teen from Red Lake who has attended and helped at camp share her hope story of how God has worked in her life with the entire camp. We have never seen the kids that quiet or focused. Please pray for her and that God will continue to use her story! Another time that we thought was significant was when a man from Red Lake came and shared about the power that this generation can have for change in their community through Christ, and that they don’t have to stop being Native American to do it. These are things that we know are important to them and want them to fully grasp onto. Along with working part time at Oak Hills, the plan is for Corey to become more officially involved with Youth for Christ and be able to dedicate consistent time throughout the week to ministry in Red Lake.
As for our summer in Italy, it was a great experience for us and a profitable internship for Corey. We worked closely with the pastor of the Milan Bible Church, Jim Kutnow, and his wife, Lynda. They really helped us to get a look into what ministry is going on in Italy with CrossWorld and a taste of the culture and land of Italy (figuratively and literally J).
We got a chance to visit five different churches in northern Italy and meet the missionaries who are working there and some of the national believers. We feel that we gained valuable insight about ministering and living overseas in a different culture. It was a real joy to be able to meet and spend time with some people from the churches, and even though we couldn’t communicate very well, to have a special connection with them because of our shared love of the Lord. Church growth in Italy is slow and there are many challenges to be faced. This is felt by both the missionaries and the national believers, and it was neat to be used by God to encourage some of these wonderful brothers and sisters in the Lord.
One example was in a small church in Bergamo. Corey preached there with a translator and the people were so gracious and appreciating and told Corey he could preach any time. This church has faced many challenges, but has grown in spite of them and in fact has outgrown their meeting space. Right now they only have one elder, who carries a lot of responsibility with not a lot of support, and also works full time in a factory. He and his wife invited us into their home and we had a wonderful time.
It was a real blessing to be a part of the Milan Bible Church for our entire time there. This church is different, because it is mainly for the large international community and the service is done in English. We got to attend there almost every week, as the services are held in the evening, and were also part of a Bible Study. We met some wonderful people and it was truly a joy to be a part of that fellowship. Corey also preached there, as well as played guitar each week with the music team. The last week of June a team of six from the USA came to lead a Vacation Bible School and we had so much fun being a part of that. There was one group for adults and one for kids, and both were very well attended. The theme for the kids was “Avalanche Ranch” and there was a story and songs, a craft, games, and a snack each night. We had a wide range of ages of kids show up, and it kind of threw us for a loop when most of them were teenagers. Some adjustments had to be made and we didn’t know quite what to expect, but they kept coming back each night and participating in all the activities and genuinely having a good time. Jim said he had never seen some of the smile like he did that week, and that it was the best VBS they have had in 10 years. In later weeks we also had the opportunity to share our testimonies with the youth and encourage them in their faith.
We went to Venice on the east coast and Genoa on the west, and many places in between. It was on our list to go to the “lake district” and we definitely accomplished that; we got to go to all four lakes, including spending our first wedding anniversary on beautiful Lake Como! Two of the churches we visited were in the mountains, which was very different from the big city of Milan and very beautiful. Being in a very big (and very hot) city of 4 million was pretty different for these country kids! There are some great sights to see in Milan, including the Duomo, which is the third largest cathedral in the world. We got opportunities to see many cathedrals, castles, and museums with amazing works of art and architecture throughout our time. Overall it was a valuable time for us where we learned a lot about God, ourselves, and ministry, as well as a new appreciation for home and family.
This is a special time of year to appreciate those things as well, and we truly do. And whether it is in Bemidji, Red Lake, or Italy, the message of Christmas is for everyone and full of hope and joy. Luke 2:18 tells of this message that “all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them.” (NASB) May we never stop wondering at the truth held in the beautiful story that we celebrate.
With love and wonder,
Corey & Ellie St. Peter
Putting up the tree...
I am the queen of Christmas lights; we quit counting at 6, but I think there is 8 strings of lights on our tree. What can I say, it's that Shuka blood.
Corey helps with the ornaments.
Isn't it beautiful? I love having room for a big tree! Thank you Grandpa and Grandma Reierson!
Yes, she is adorable and loves the tree too...loves to knock off all the ornaments within her reach and try to get inside the tree. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment