Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR from Dianne.  I am so thankful for my family who have faithfully blogged during these past 6 months while we've been in Cambridge!  What an immeasurable blessing this time has been for our family, as the Lord has grown us in our faith, strengthened us as a family, and delighted us with friendships old and new. Every single day when we would inhale the familiar aroma of Tyndale House, we would thank Him.  Every day that we made one less faux pas among the British, we would grin...progress. On every trip we took thruout the Fall, visiting places we only ever dreamed of visiting, our hearts would overflow with gratefulness.  And with every inch of growth on my boys' faces, I would be thankful that one day it could be cut. 😉

Now we are on to the next chapter, the traveling chapter, of our trip.  We are all excited about it, but sad to leave beloved Cambridge and the many friends there.  We are living these first two weeks in a village called Badhoevedorp, in the Netherlands, where we live on a street called Egelantierstraat, and where we continue to be amazed at just how long the names of streets and towns can be. We really are enjoying getting to know the Dutch a bit...very orderly, efficient, tidy, and most helpful.  Thankfully most folks speak English, well, along with 3 or 4 other languages.  It's really quite humbling.

Students from all over the world are studying here at Tyndale Theological Seminary, where Brad is teaching, and each day at mealtime, as we sit by folks like Yasir from Pakistan, Alex from Romania, or Ruth from the Philippines, we are reminded of God's church around the world, and are so very encouraged. Most of the faculty here are from the US, so we feel right at home. The food is prepared by a Dutch chef, and she comes up with all kinds of delicious meals that are not only tasty, but conversation-worthy too.  Like the entree made up of mashed potatoes with bacon and sauerkraut.  It was actually REALLY yummy--I had two portions!

Our daily schedule here has a familiar rhythm to it:  Brad teaches in the mornings while the children and I homeschool, every day thanking Jesus that Algebra II is over. In the afternoons we explore or catch up with reading and responsibilities, then after supper we play ping pong or foosball with students here, or watch a movie together (the kids' favorite thus far has been The Count of Monte Cristo), or something a little more relaxing.We continue to be overwhelmingly thankful for the opportunity to be overseas as a family, and for the work that the Lord is doing within our family, and for a glimpse at what He is doing in other parts of the world.

This is the view from where we're staying here at Tyndale. From one Tyndale--Tyndale House--in Cambridge, to another Tyndale--Tyndale Theological Seminary--here in the Netherlands.  Both are named after William Tyndale, who first translated the Bible into English.

A little after-dinner ping pong with Yasir (Caleb's teammate) and Alex (Daniel's teammate).  These guys were all so good and having such fun!  They were all sweating by the time it was over.