Year: 2013

Jason and Denise welcomed Addison Taylor into their home on July 7 of this year! She weighed 7 lb 15oz and was 19 1/2 inches long.  She is blessed with a loving family– along with Jason and Denise, there are many arms to hold her: Caitlin, Molly, Brooklyn and Dallas. She’s already growing up and looking like Jason –a real cutie. 🙂

An encouraging letter emailed from Waslala, Nicaragua– from Pablo Yoder–not TO us, but passed along to us. On Christmas Day, Pablo’s daughter, Jessica, newly widowed, with 3 young daughters, and a little one on the way, experienced a Christmas Light shining into their home. She knows not who it was– but it brought Christmas cheer, and gives testimony to Jesus and the hope He brings.

Daryl had penned the words to “A Christmas Light” after mulling over the happenings around a 1996 tragedy, which took the life of a 40 year old father. The song was recorded by the Garment of Praise in “The Wondrous Gift is Given” .

To all the hurting at Christmas, may we as Christians be a true light for Jesus, and an encouragement to hang on to hope.

Following is the email newsletter– penned by Brother Pablo.

A Special Christmas Gift

Dawn had just awakened Waslala and a pale luminosity was filtering into the dark room. The young widow sat on the couch in her living room, reading her Bible. The three little girls were sleeping in their upstairs nook, cuddled under the covers to keep the winter chill at bay. And the last addition to the family, that wasn’t quite here yet, was nestled deep in his mama’s being. As the lady read, she wondered what the Waslala Christmas day would hold. It was then that she heard distinct footsteps right outside her front door.

Wondering, she laid her Bible aside and quickly stepped over to the window. Pulling back the curtain she saw Omar Montenegro walking away from the house and down the lane briskly. Hum, I wonder what he wanted. He must have decided to not disturb me since it’s so early and will stop by later.

Though Omar was once a criminal who dealt with cocaine in LA,  Jessica would never even have thought of doubting him for stopping by at that hour. His faithful Christian testimony since his conversion six years earlier had erased all doubts from her heart. But what he would have wanted that early in the morning was a mystery that needed to be solved.

Later, after the sun burst over the horizon and the morning woke up the whole way, Jessica laid her Bible aside and opened the front door to let the morning and the sunlight flood into her house. Right in front of the door was a big gift, wrapped up grandly.

Then Jessica knew what Omar had been there for. She quickly bent over the gift and read the tag: “Merry Christmas! Ha! Ha! (In Spanish)”

Shaking her head questioningly, Jessica hauled the basket to the table and decided to wait to open it until her children woke up.

Later the fatherless family opened the gift. The little girls cheered and exclaimed as they pulled out a lovely pair of sandals for each one; a perfect fit!  A darling purse for each of them. A pillow. Bottles shaped like ice-cream cones that were actually bubble blowers. And more…

“Mama,” Tisha squealed, “look, here is a pair of shoes for the baby that isn’t born yet.”

As the children rejoiced with their gifts, the widow noticed a frame with some words on it. She pulled it out and read the words slowly. It was song she had known ever since she was a child.

The room is dim, she’s feeling sad…

Christmas ain’t the same when you don’t have a Dad.

Mama said, “Daddy went home to be with Jesus.”

Just as a tear makes its way to the floor…

She turns as she hears a knock on the door.

Nobody is there, just a gift wrapped up for Christmas.

She opens the box, takes a look inside,

 And with the smile on her face and a glow in her eyes

She reads the note from the one who brightened up her Christmas.

It said…

I just want to be a Christmas light

Shining like the star on the very first night;

Telling everybody I meet: “Love is HERE!”

I don’t want to be just a burned-out bulb,

I’m gonna shine for the One and ALL.

I want to be a Christmas light this year.

Jessica had always been moved by this sad story. But now, for the first time in her life, she thought about it that the first verse of the song told her story too.

Then Jessica saw a CD, lying among the gifts. Leaving the children to their delights, she quickly took the CD to her computer and listened to the song as sung by Garment of Praise. Then she found a chair and sat down, and wept.

Later Jessica and her daughters dropped by here on their way to the Millers where they planned to spend Christmas day. The little girls were very excited, telling us all about the special gifts each one had received. Especially about the brown and white baby shoes. But what blessed me most was how the mother’s moist eyes glistened as she told us their precious Christmas story. I could see that that gift had meant more to her then words could ever tell.

Later I asked Omar about the gift. He confessed, “I was just the courier. She was not supposed to see me. But I feel so blessed to at least be the messenger for this special Christmas gift. It’s such a beautiful thing!”

Then Omar’s tears started flowing almost as fast as mine were.

God bless you, mysterious donors. Jessica doesn’t need to know who you are. Because she and all of us know that God is really the author of every good and perfect gift !

I also want to be a Christmas light this year!

Pablo