Family & Friends
Another year is coming to an end and it always is a fun time
to reflect back on all that the Lord has done this past year. I looked back on
my past Christmas letters and the theme tends to stay the same: God is so very
good.
2012 started with me moving into the Macfarlan’s garage
apartment, and I had no idea how much of a blessing this would be for me. Dean
and Tawney Macfarlan lead my trip to Uganda in October 2011, and quickly became
some of my favorite people to be around. They have an incredible marriage
rooted in Christ, and are some of the most faithful and loving people I have
ever met. I've learned more from living there this past year than they will
ever know.
Soon after my move, my beautiful niece Zoe was born in
March. She is truly a gift from God and has already brought so much joy to our
family. Her name is the word Jesus would use for “life” when the bible was
written in Greek, and she is definitely full of life. We are so happy for
Michael, Amy, and big brother Garrett.
I then got invited to go on a cruise with a childhood friend
of mine named Lauren. We went to Jamaica, Mexico, and Grand Cayman where we zip
lined, kayaked, swam with stingrays, and got to race on one of the America’s
Cup sailboats (our boat won!). It was such a sweet time to catch up with an old
friend, and get a tan J.
This summer I went to a city I had never been before,
Chicago! Summertime in Chicago is amazing. The weather was perfect for running
out by the lake, and I enjoyed eating great food, going to the top of the Sears
Tower, taking an architectural boat tour through the city, exploring the Navy
Pier, and going to Wrigley Field! In the fall we took a Breaud girls trip to
Round Top where we had a great time shopping, eating, and catching up. It was
really special having ten women from one side of the family (three generations)
together for a weekend getaway.
The big trip of the year was going back to Haiti with
40 young adults that I serve with every Tuesday at The Porch
(www.theporchdallas.com). We spent time painting new homes for the Haitians,
where we would also get to share the Gospel with the children, adults, and deaf
community nearby. Then other days we went to villages where those who knew
Jesus reflected to us the hope and joy that comes from walking with the Lord.
They have what we would consider nothing and yet only wanted us to pray for
them to draw nearer to God and trust him more. This was very encouraging and
convicting at the same time. It was very clear which villages either had never
heard of Jesus, chose to reject Jesus, or mix Jesus with voodoo. We were
challenged to articulate well the Gospel, and then pray for the Lord to move in
a big way in these villages. Towards the end of the trip Hurricane Sandy hit
the island and we were confined to Mission of Hope’s compound. The Lord had a
plan though and having to stay at MOH allowed us to spend time in the orphanage,
and help to paint the new hospital they are building on site. Overall the trip
was incredible seeing the change from a year ago. Mission of Hope is a perfect
name for our partners there because they are truly helping Haitians see the
hope that comes from our Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you all so much for your
prayers and support for this trip. Our team appreciated it so much, and we all
came back even more excited about serving the Lord here in Dallas.
My last trip of the year was to the Macfarlan’s ranch where
I got to celebrate my boyfriend Ryan’s 30th birthday with some of
our closest friends. While we were there
it was awesome reflecting on what Christmas is really about, and how thankful
we are that God would send his Son Jesus to earth for us.
But the
angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring
you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in
the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. –Luke 2:10-11
I’m excited to end the year celebrating Christmas and New
Years with Ryan and our family and friends. I can’t wait to see what 2013 will
bring!
Merry Christmas &
Happy New Year~
Allyson
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