Happy New Year 2011

January 1, 2011

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:9

Dear Friends and Family,

As we end the adventures of 2010 and embark on what God has for us in 2011, we rejoice that our Sovereign God’s perfect plan includes our sanctification and joy—even when we don’t understand His ways and His thoughts.  It is a great encouragement to know that God’s intentions are not limited by our understanding.  As we look back over the last year we can rejoice in the accomplishment of His plans with certain hope that the New Year will bring more evidence of His love in our lives.

The past year has had several unusual twists and turns.  Kirsten’s life has been filled with travel and plans for travel.  The travel occurred when she made a mission trip in March to Mexico and a school trip in June to France.  If you are keeping track, that is four continents for her before the age of 18.  The spring and summer also held some college exploration trips.  Her heart is to major in French and become qualified to teach English as a foreign language as a missionary in a French speaking country (preferably in Northern Africa).  These experiences and desires pointed her in the direction of Wheaton College as the best place for her to continue her education after graduation next June.  After  working hard in school, taking the ACTs, and completing her application she was rewarded with a letter of acceptance into Wheaton.  We are so proud of the young woman she has become and is becoming through God’s gracious plan.  Her departure will be very difficult for the rest of the family, especially her daddy, but we all know that it is the right thing at the right time and are eagerly waiting to see how God provides for her and prepares her.

Andrew’s year has been one of sports and music.  His trombone playing has progressed wonderfully.  It’s amazing what regular practice will accomplish.  In the spring he once again played baseball and thrived defensively.  His stroke at the plate really came around at the end of the season and he played a significant role in the team’s third place finish in the final tournament.  In the fall it was football.  As a member of one of the South Falcons seventh grade teams he performed extremely well on the offensive and defensive lines.  The real joy and success, however, came as the year closed as a member of one of the school’s basketball teams.  In his first venture onto an organized team in this sport, he really made a huge impact by leading his team in rebounding virtually every game, playing great defense against the other team’s big men, and growing in his understanding of ways to contribute on offense.  He has declared that this is indeed his favorite sport—not unusual for a boy who has grown as much as he has this year passing both his sister and mother in height and confidently telling his dad that he is next to be passed.  To top things off his academic team of teachers named him the student of the month for December—way to go, Andrew!

At the close of 2009 Jadon had been with us only seven months and was still struggling to make any sense out of his new life in the United States.  A year later, after 19 months, there is significant change in his behavior, his understanding, and his demeanor.  Yes, there are still some very difficult and trying times, but in general he is a real joy to have around.  The expectations of him at school in third grade are much greater than they were in second grade—and he is meeting them well in regard to his behavior.  We are fortunate to have had many partners in this effort—counselors, school personnel, church friends, and family.  Academically, it is a real challenge, but his teachers and parents are very encouraged by his tremendous abilities and potential and are truly amazed at the progress that he has made in such a short amount of time.  He began piano lessons in September and has done well there (with a tremendous teacher).  Every time people who do not have regular contact with him see him again they marvel at his growth in terms of language and communication.  Virtually everyone who meets him likes and enjoys him.  He is really a funny guy—now it is sometimes even intentional.

Ruth has continued to focus her energies toward serving others as a helper and a life-giver.  Most of her time and energy are spent as mom and wife as she seeks to make the home a haven of security that enables growth for others.  She continues to teach private voice students from both Altoona High School and Chippewa Falls High School during the school day three days a week.  In addition, she has joined a team of women at church who are teaching the “Little Church” group during the message (Jadon loves this, by the way).  Her passion for people is seen in her continuing efforts to stay in touch with friends and relatives across the country.  Facebook has become a valuable tool and she recently joined the army of phone texters—thanks to Kirsten’s fine instruction.  She has also met on a semi-regular basis with a former student of Alan’s who is now an intern for Campus Crusade for Christ on the UW-Eau Claire campus.  Her favorite book of the year (other than the Bible) was “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan.  Her crazy love for her family is fueled by the crazy love that she experiences from her heavenly Father.  It is exciting to see and experience how God demonstrates His crazy love to all of our family through her.

Alan’s spring semester was quite the adventure since he was on sabbatical from the university, doing a sabbatical project that involved observing classes and interviewing teachers and students at four high schools in the Twin Cities area, and taking classes in St. Paul.  It was a very different semester but a welcomed change of pace that did provide some refreshment.  This summer he came back to the university to serve as an orientation adviser and began an internship in two different school districts.  The internship continued into the fall semester when he went back to teaching full time.  It was difficult to go back to school after experiencing a more reasonable work load and the flexibility to accomplish some real scholarship and learning.  He continues with the internships and hopes to complete that process this spring.  He is amazed at how God has used recent circumstances, especially connected to Jadon, to teach him some very important lessons about himself.  God is working in mysterious ways, but good ways—even if we don’t understand them.

Thanks for the role that all of you play in our lives.  Even if we haven’t seen you in years, you are remembered and God has used you in remarkable ways to impact us—even recently.  May He bless you with a perspective that allows you to worship Him for His grace that is demonstrated to all of us in ways that we can’t even begin to grasp since His thoughts are so much higher than our thoughts.  May your 2011 be filled with an awareness of His touch!

Blessings to all in Christ Jesus,

Alan, Ruth, Kirsten, Andrew and Jadon Rieck