Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Merry Christmas!

God has been so good to us in the past year and we are excited about what He has in store for us this coming year! Glenn is pointing to where we will live (Hungary) and I am indicating the area we will work (from Hungary to the far eastern side of Russia).


World Map on the wall at Marietta First Baptist Church

Our plane reservations for January 7th were canceled because we had not received our visas to Hungary by December 19th, but they arrived on December 26th, so as soon as the IMB reopens on January 2nd and Jean has time to go through her 200 emails she received over the holidays, she will book us a new flight. We anticipate leaving Atlanta now somewhere between January 15th-20th, but we'll let you know as soon as we know something definite!

In the meantime, we've had a wonderful Christmas with lots of food, good times with family and friends, and a special surprise from our daughter!

Kari called us a couple of days before Christmas on our cell phone while we were at my sister's house and we got to talk to her for a bit, but she promised to call again on Christmas day.


Weak cell phone batteries so Glenn plugs it in to the car to recharge while talking with Kari. Don't want to miss a word!


Santa left one of his reindeer at our house by accident.

The reindeer looks a lot like Chris's dog, Shadow, that we are babysitting, doesn't he?


Christmas breakfast at Glenn's "Momma and Deddy"

After a delicious breakfast, we rushed back to our "old" house that has not yet sold in order to be able to talk to Kari and Chris and their spouses on Skype. Low and behold, while I was talking with Kari via the computer, her face popped onto my screen!!!! She had received from her wonderful husband, Jonathan, a web cam and so I could see her face as she talked with me! What a wonderful surprise! I got to talk to Chris and Kate and see them too! It was wild!


Talking to and seeing Kari at the same time! What a gift!

After talking with Kari, Jonathan, Chris and Kate, we headed over to my sister Elizabeth's mother in law's house, Emogene Bass, to have another Christmas dinner. (We'd eaten there earlier in the week when my older brother and other sister and their families came into town for a day or two.)


Elizabeth and I pose with our antlers.


My brother Jim and his oldest daughter, Dannelly from Chattanooga.


My sister Karin and her family: Eric, Morgan and Corrie

Besides celebrating with Cile's side of the family (Borders' side will celebrate on Dec. 29th), we also visited with some very dear friends of ours, most of whom are members at our church, West Cobb Baptist Church.


Dianne and Al Gay

We've eaten a lot of meals in restaurants (which Cile loves!) as this seems to be the best time to fellowship with friends. We enjoyed breakfast with Buddy and Ashley McLaughlin, lunch with Brant and Peggy Callaway, dinner with Bubba & Tassie Wainwright and Kerry & Bobby Rader and a Christmas party with our Pastor, Ken and Shawna Williams. The rest of this week is full with fellowshipping with more friends before our son returns from France and Glenn's sisters' family arrives for the Borders family Christmas celebration.


Christmas dinner at Emogene's included long-time friends, Jane and Anne Quillen.


Tea and crumpets with Queenie and Becky.

One of the most fun things I have done over the holidays was to attend one of the local Garden Club teas with Glenn's mother "Queenie" and my sister in law, Becky. We donned some hats, wrapped shawls around our shoulders and held our pinkie's out as we sipped a spiced Christmas tea and ate tiny delicacies. It was a lot of fun pretending we were the tea types.


Connie Smith, Becky and Cile enjoy a sip of tea and a taste of scones.

We hope your holidays are as much fun as ours has been! We thank God for His Son, Jesus Christ, who is THE REASON we celebrate Christmas and we want to honor Him with our lives, now and throughout the coming year. I hope you have experienced His Presence over the past few days and will make Him a priority in the months to come. What an awesome God we serve!