January is always a month of transitions. Colombians celebrate Christmas and New Years in big ways, often traveling to be with family and friends. And many families take vacation the beginning of January. The majority of schools don’t start up again until the middle/end of January, so kids are off school. Some churches have a couple weeks with no Sunday services as people are traveling and taking time to be with family. After the busyness and fullness of December, the slow beginning to the month of January is something we have come to savor.
January is also a month of planning and preparation for ministry, gearing up for 2023 and all it holds. We have been in planning meetings, working out travel schedules, preparing classes that we will be teaching in the upcoming months, making arrangements for travel, etc. Here are some pictures that show a bit of what our January looked like.
January 2 we drove home after being with Julio’s family for New Years. The scenery along the 6 hour drive is awe-inspiring
I like to keep the Christmas decorations up through the Christmas season. It’s always a chore to put things away…this time the cat wasn’t very helpful either.
Celebrated my birthday as a family
Celebrated my birthday with family and colleagues.
After a week of intense rainstorms we have started to see the sunshine and blue skies. This was the view on one of my walks. Focusing on physical and mental health this year includes daily exercise!
Working on class plans from the back patio and soaking up the gorgeous weather.
New school schedules has meant new morning routines. Still, every morning we sit together as a family to pray and meditate on Scripture. (This hat was his favorite Christmas gift, which he received from his brother).
It’s been a month to catch up with friends and spend time sharing life together.
At a local church, youth leader, Juan Felipe, led youth and adolescents in a dialogue addressing their needs and hopes for youth ministry this year.
