Koster Photo Album: 2000 Xmas Letter

	Christmas 2000 The Koster Christmas Letter
Seasons Greetings from New England! We pray this letter finds you well. If you missed our Christmas letter last year, it's because we never mailed one. We did put one up on our web site, but so little had changed from 1998 to 1999 that it didn't seem worth the effort. But 2000 has brought more than two year's worth of upheaval!
	Thanks to a job offer too good to pass, we moved from our lifelong home in Michigan to Boston, Massachusetts in June. That of course meant finding a new school, a new church, a new home, all while leaving our friends and family behind.
Although the job was the primary reason for moving, we felt God's hand pushing us to New England throughout the process. On our first interview trip, we attended Grace Chapel, which became our new church home. On that trip, while we were feeling unsure of how seriously to take this opportunity, the pastor spoke at length on hearing God's call, leaving the comfortable, and following His leading to new fields. It felt like a kick in the pants.
	We visited several Christian schools, but the one we wanted had no openings in Kindergarten. When we stopped by for a tour, the principal told us there had just been a cancellation, and Jess and Nate would have no problems joining Abundant Life Christian School.
When shopping for a house, we wanted a home as comfortable as our old one, conveniently located for visitors, and large enough to entertain as much company as we could get. All this in a housing market of expensive, small, and scarce homes. Providentially, we found a five-bedroom ranch, one mile off the main freeway, with an acre of swamp as a bonus. We've already entertained over one hundred people and taken in a border. And that doesn't even include the friends & family visiting from out-of-state.
	Of course it certainly hasn't been easy to make such a big move. Moving our household cross-country and renovating the new home took weeks of work, and still isn't finished. But meeting our neighbors and making new friends has been even harder. Nevertheless, we know that God will use us wherever we are planted.
	Three-year-old Samantha Joy is as busy as ever, and remains a delight. She's developing her habit of changing her clothes five times a day (she prefers dancing dresses) and trained herself out of diapers in less than a week. She's also enjoying her swimming lessons at the YMCA, and can navigate the computer as well as her siblings.
Nathan is now six and loves kindergarden. He has made friends easily both at church and school, and has been invited to at least four birthday parties so far. He's earned his first belt stripe in pee-wee karate, and will be glad to show you his side-kicks. We tried to give him fish for his birthday, but we couldn't keep them alive for more than a few weeks. He continues to develop his artisitic skills on his Little Tykes art easel.
	Jessica is nine and in 4th Grade. She also has adjusted well and has enjoyed a few sleepovers with some new friends. She has done well in school, and excells in her gymnastics class. She helped Grandma paint the jungle room in our basement, which she likes to use as a rollerblade arena.
Deb is enjoying a break from nursing. Her full life as a homemaker has helped everyone make the transition. The loss of our support network has made for some challenging times, especially since Steven's job requires occasional travel. She's been working to make new connections at church and school, and expects each and every one of you to visit when you come to New England.
	Steven took a new job with Avid Technology, the manufacturer of the film & video editing systems used in most professional productions. His job is with AvidProNet, Avid's web site dedicated to its customer community. After 11 years at Calvin College, he's still surpised when Avid doesn't open business meetings with prayer.
	Unfortunately, all the upheaval prevented us from doing much camping or biking this year. The only campout we managed was our retreat to a state park during which we made the final decision to move. At least our new home has a great view on a conservation area.
Besides the company from back home, the highlight of autumn was a trip to Disney. To celebrate their 40th anniversary, Steve's folks took all the kids and grandkids to Disney. All 19 of us enjoyed a week in the sun at all four theme parks, and the kids had a great time gathering autographs from all the characters.
	So, 2000 has brought more change than we could have imagined on January 1st. We hope that 2001 allows us a sense of normalcy once again. We hope to use all these gifts to serve here in New England.
Merry Christmas and have a blessed new year!
	Steven, Deb, Jessica, Nathan, and Samantha
	311 Haverhill St Reading MA 01867 781 944-3769	kosts@koster.com Deb_Koster@hotmail.com

Christmas 2000

The Koster Christmas Letter