Christmas Letter 2013

The Christmas Letter phenomenon is a good one...I think.  Of course, it's not all good. I don't like that Christmas Letters tend to only be written and sent by those who are married and having children.  How sad!  Every one should feel comfortable enough to write and send out a yearly update, and everyone should feel interested in reading the updates of people who don't fit in the "young and growing family" category.  I also don't like that Christmas Letters can lack a certain depth.  Sometimes they can read like a list of projects completed and goals accomplished rather than a true reflection of a year's highs and lows.

That being said, even a brief, selective update can be meaningful.  For the most part, I love every Christmas Letter I get.  I love that someone took the time to reflect, write something, put it in an envelop with my address, and send it to my way.  I love the feeling of connection it gives me.  And I love that it opens an opportunity for me to think about people I may not think about on a daily basis, to feel glad for them, to hope for them, to pray for them.

Like I said, the Christmas Letter phenomenon is a good one... I think. 

So, without further ado, here is my attempt at a Christmas Letter.  True, as far as Christmas Lettters go, I'm two weeks late.  And true, something like this could just as easily be called some sort of New Years reflection.  But I much prefer that you pretend you received this by mail and that it came folded up in a lovely Christmas card.   Maybe next year I'll actually send out the real thing!

To our friends and family near and far,

You are great.  We love you.  We are thankful for you.  And we whole-heartedly believe that you are in our lives not by chance but by God's will, so we thank him for the love, care, and impact you have had on us.  We hope that you'll receive this brief update on our family as both a gesture of our gratitude and an attempt to maintain our connection to you.  :) 

If I had to pick words to describe this past year in the lives of the Salverdas, I'd pick slow and steady.  After several years in a row of lots happening and major transitions, 2013 has been relatively uneventful - and that's been a wonderful change. 

Slowly and steadily, Joseph Jude made his way into toddlerhood.  The worst part of this is that he has evolved into a somewhat picky-eater.  As a baby, he ate everything we put in front of him (and more).  As an almost two-year, he is picking, choosing, and deciding to have his own opinion about foods.  Right now, he is rejecting all things green - which is super-frustrating for his veggie-loving parents! 

The best part about the move into toddlerhood has been Joseph's increased ability to enjoy time apart from us.  He has a regular babysitter whom he just loves - and when she arrives at the door he is all laughter and smiles.  On Sunday mornings, rather than cry and cling when dropped off at the nursery, he walks in like he owns the place and begins to pull his favourite toys from the shelves.  We love seeing this independence develop in him.  (But, of course, we also love the huge hugs we get when we reunite!)

Also slow and steady has been the process of settling into our church community.   For Dave and I it was a year of going into the office, writing emails, making phone calls, having conversations, studying the Bible, praying, preaching sermons, leading worship, hosting events, facilitating discussions, attending meetings, and more.  On the whole, doing these things has given us joy and purpose.  And on the whole, doing these things has resulted in an ever-deepening sense that we are pastors, and that we are pastors here - at this time, in this place, in the midst of these people.

As far as church/work goes, Dave enjoyed being more involved in the music. On Sundays when he was not preaching, he usually joined the worship team - and played either the guitar, the drums, or both.  I myself found that I really enjoyed preaching.  Since I was home with Joseph a lot, I found the intellectual and spiritual stimulation that comes with prepping a sermon to be very refreshing. 

The final thing I'll note is that slowly and steadily, we have settled into life in Victoria.  We have ridden our bikes a lot, and very much know how to navigate around the city.  We have favourite restaurants.  We have favourite coffee shops.  We have favourite parks.  We also have friends that we enjoy spending time with on a regular basis.  All of these things have made this past year a year of feeling like Victoria was truly our home.

In terms of settling in Victoria, our little garden plot continues to be a rather major part of our lives.  We grew a lot of food this past summer, and we are still working through much of it.  Thankfully, despite becoming more picky, Joseph continues to love garlic, tomato sauce, a variety of squash soups!

Merry Christmas.  May the reality of God's presence - demonstrated most poignantly in the coming of Jesus - strengthen us, guide us, and inspire us in the year ahead.

Love,
Brittney, David, and Joseph Salverda