Merry Christmas from
Tami, Kai, and Mark
2012 has been a busy
year full of blessings for our family.
Kai is a freshman this
year. Her grades are the best they have ever been and she has discovered a
passion for writing. She is taking Journalism and has had 5 articles published
for her High School Newspaper, including 3 articles in 1 edition. She has been
participating in our Local Outreach events at church, Family Promise, helping
with childcare, and our homeless projects. She has finally noticed boys but is
“too shy?!?” to talk with them. The boys need to measure up to the members of
the musical group One Direction, (those
over 30 please Google) and so far none have. I am thanking all of my
buddies for their offers of shot gun cleaning parties at our home when Kai
starts inviting boys over! Her college goal is to attend Stanford. Prayers are
needed, and information on scholarship program offers are welcomed as her
grades are there, but finances,... well they are in God’s hands for now. Mom
and dad are very proud of our 14 year old!
Tami has enjoyed her
busiest and most productive year ever. In addition to helping me with our Local
Outreach, Family Promise, and our homeless projects, she continues to volunteer
at our church. She began by helping to coordinate church weddings, soon
funerals and events were added. In her spare time she has continued to pursue
her passion and build her talent for design by leading and coordinating
decorating projects for the many events and goings on at our church. On just one
of her many projects this year with her partner Jackie; they totally redesigned
a waterfall and hill next to the church lobby to host a manger scene. She asked
a few of us one Sunday afternoon to move “just a few rocks” to help. 5 hours
and (6) 400+ pound rocks later we finished! Tami knows just how to get us all
to want to help! She continues to be active in assisting folks for our
Wednesday Night Live meals and activities.
The big news for Tami
is that this year she was able to realize a dream service she has been praying
about for 5 years. She has always wanted to be able to assist our homeless
friends as they transition to new homes and lives with furniture and décor to
get them started. Our involvement in Family Promise has become a passion for both
of us. Through the gift of a safe and secure storage area from our friends and
MPCC angels Marty and Marcy, she has been able to now collect donated furniture
and décor. She has helped to furnish 3 homes so far and has enough furniture
and materials for 2 more as they are needed over the next few weeks! She was
asked by Family Promise Leadership and Mark Taylor properties to furnish a
large apartment home as a surprise for a Family Promise graduate and her
family. Within 48 hours she was able to organize, mobilize, and furnish the
home! She has an amazing team of friends who volunteered with her to get this
done on short notice. Thank you especially to Shell for her marathon energy
that matched Tami’s drive to get this done!
This year I have had
many blessings. Our Care & Support Ministries grew and thrived seeing a few
more folks step into leadership roles alongside me to help many others to find
their way through struggles and challenges that we encounter in this world. I
was given the opportunity to also become the interim Director of Local Outreach
when our beloved Lori Hall answered the Lord’s calling with her husband Marsh
to move onto another ministry in San Diego. Family Promise has grown and we are
excited to have more local churches joining us to help even more homeless
families this year to find their way back to stable jobs and secure housing. We
participated as a church in Feed My Starving Children packing events including
a successful Mobile Packing event at the church where we packed over 100,000
meals. Our CASS Homeless meal and 12 Step meeting continues to thrive under our
leader Tim B. Pastor Natividad and his From Gangs to Jobs ministry was featured
on a local TV news station for all the good he is doing and changes he brings.
The other Local Outreach projects of Salvation Army, Angel Tree, Food Pantry
and others have enjoyed blessed support and energetic participation this year.
The big news for me was being asked by my
Pastoral boss and leader Juno to become an Ordained Pastor with the Church of
God. I have been praying about this for a few years now and am honored to be on
this path.
I enjoyed another
productive year with my employer Verizon Wireless. I began working with my Area
team and got to participate in many projects as our ever changing industry
embraces new technology.
I had the blessing of
receiving a 21 year Sobriety chip on December 17. An unexpected present came as
a newspaper article was printed sharing my Salvation Army experience as a
Christmas story from our turn Bell Ringing this year for this wonderful
organization.
As 2012 closes, Tami,
Kai, and I want to wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a
Happy and blessed 2013!
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