Merry Christmas from the Spinella grove in Taiwan

It all started our first Christmas in Taiwan, 1996. Back then there were a few stores around called "Christmas stores." They didn't have a lot of variety, but what they had was cheap. We picked up a scrawny Christmas tree, picking a 6 footer (artificial, of course) for under $10--can't even remember the price any more, when Joey decided he wanted his own, so he picked up an even cheaper 4 footer. After a few years his tree migrated out to the living room, providing a little support for its scrawny older brother. Then eventually a third one showed up and joined the party, I think left over when someone else headed back to the US, so one sits on the coffee table, a couple in front, and most recently a very small one has gathered round the large pillar next to our front door. The ornaments are mostly homemade. Everything from painted wooden cutouts of wisemen et all, to Christmas trees with a picture of Joey and Robby in them, made around 5 years old at Sunday School in Colorado. There are also some starched ornaments crocheted by Grandma, various stuffed animals and Chinese cell phone charms. There are even a couple gold plated aspen leaves. Laura says they were gifts from her mom, too!

 

Now it's 12/31 and I'm looking over at the grove from my reading and writing chair, as is my habit this time of year. Today it reminds me of the story about the woman who had five husbands. She said, "You honor the father in Jerusalem while we do it on the mountaintop (maybe in a grove of trees?)" He said back, "...the time is coming when it will no longer matter where you honor the father, [just honor him] in spirit and in truth."  One of my friends doesn't even celebrate Christmas because of its history as a pagan mid-winter festival. Then Joey heard in China last summer that we shouldn't celebrate birthdays because that's a selfish focus on ourselves and we have this one birthday to celebrate. (I guess for that follower, anyway, it's more spiritual to celebrate your years passing each Chinese new year like everyone else does.) For us, Christmas is both a traditional family time and a time to remember the best cross-cultural entry story ever. I guess no matter when, where, or how, I think it's good to celebrate this grand intervention in our world.

I am especially reminded this year that we don't merit grace, but rather receive it as people in need. The people in the Christmas story are almost all marginalized one way or another--poor Galileans in Judea, foreign wisemen, socially scorned shepherds, widows, . Yet here came Christmas! This is way cool!

Sarah, Joey, and Robby are back for a few weeks, enjoying this apartment and city full of so many memories. We're so glad to have them back and hear about all that's going on for them. Joey does have an impressive cast protecting his surgically repaired achilles tendon and he's written a song about the accident. We're hoping the story will end with a complete recovery by summer.

 

I know that 2009 has been a different year for lots of families, and not all the stories have happy endings, but I am glad we can end this year with thankfulness and anticipation. Our journeys continue, and the author of us all is still writing new stories for the road ahead. Here's to some new chapters still to come, exciting but with grace and mercy just when needed.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Steve and Laura

 

PS Do you get excited when you hear amazing stories about people like us?  For the first 100 days of 2010, TEAM is challenging everyone to join in a campaign called Everyone One Hundred.  From January through early April, you'll get weekly emails with great information and important pr requests from around the world. Sign up at www.TEAMeveryone.org. As part of our partnership, we'll be giving an extra gift to TEAM from TEAMspinella as a way of recognizing all our sponsoring organization does to make our ministry possible. As always, you can use TEAM's website, phone number, or the mail address below to partner directly in our ministry through TEAM. Just note on any response form that you want your gift to go to the TEAMspinella project.

 

Dr. Steve and Laura Spinella, Sarah, Joey, Robby
Da Yi Street, Lane 29, #18, 2F-1, Taichung 40454, TAIWAN
011.886.4.2236.6145, of 4.2236.1901, fx 4.2236.2109, cell 9.2894.0514
USA: 9685 Otero Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, 719.528.1702, cell 713.408.7208 (new cell #, note Houston area code)
TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60187, 800.343.3144 <www.team.org.tw/ccg>, <http://groups.google.com/group/TEAMspinella/>,
<spinella@alumni.rice.edu>, <lauraspinella@alumni.rice.edu>

--
Dr. Steve and Laura Spinella, Sarah, Joey, Robby
Da Yi Street, Lane 29, #18, 2F-1, Taichung 404, TAIWAN
011 886 4 2236-6145, wk 2236-1901, fx 2236-2109, cell 9 2894-0514
USA: 9685 Otero Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, 719.528.1702, cell 719.355.4809
TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60187, 800 343-3144
<www.team.org.tw/spinella>, <www.team.org.tw/ccg> <spinella@alumni.rice.edu> <lauraspinella@alumni.rice.edu>

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