Annual Christmas Letter 2019

Dear Friends and Family,

2019 has been a year of change for us.  Thankfully God has led us all the way and brought us through this year that has flown by faster than any previously!

In January, Janet started working for God’s Bible School and College, for the Spring semester as cook’s helper in the kitchen.  She learned a lot and enjoyed getting to work around the staff and students.  But it was hard on her arthritis, especially her left knee.  So we were all relieved for an opening in an office job mid-May, when she got trained in Donor Records.  In August, she started learning lots more new things in training to be an Administrative Assistant for the Constituent Relations department.  God has helped her so much.  It is a privilege to be part of the GBS family, to care about and pray for all the students and staff, and to experience the presence of God in the workplace every day.

Because of Janet’s knee problems, we started praying about moving to a ranch-style home with bedrooms and laundry on the main floor and we put our house on the market in May.  It took a while to find the right house and buyers for ours, but in mid-August, we closed on both houses and got moved to Florence, Kentucky.  We love it that God answered our prayers for the features we needed the most in our house, and we are enjoying the benefits.

Rowen is a little closer to his work now and continues to enjoy installing all kinds of window coverings.  He also helps with a lot of closet/pantry installations, which are more tiring work than blinds.  God has been good to him, helping him be safe in sometimes awkward or unsafe positions he has to be in to put blinds in hard to reach places.  Rowen’s diabetes is still an issue, but God helps him to know when his blood sugar is too high or too low, so he can make adjustments. He still takes five insulin shots per day, but we are very grateful for the insulin being provided for free through his doctor!

We have enjoyed having guests in both of our houses throughout the year.  It seems that our guests are happy, even if our guest room -and all our bedrooms- are smaller than at the previous house.  But the living area is roomier and open and we love having guests for Sunday meals and look forward to having at least part of our family here at Christmas. 

We gained a granddaughter when Mandylyn Joy was born to Randy and Joy on August 26.  We are anxious to see her (and the rest of her family) at Christmas, as we haven’t had time off to go on a trip as far away as South Dakota.  Before too long, Tim and Brenda will have another baby girl, so by the end of the year, we will have 9 grandchildren.

Jeff and Lesa were out of the country for almost five months, but we have gotten to see them several times since they are back.  They came and helped us move and do the things we needed done at this house.  Jason and Karen are still hard at work at God’s Bible School and Jason is planning to graduate in 2020 with his Masters. 

Elizabeth qualified to graduate from God’s Bible School this past May, but after much prayer decided to continue on another two years and add on a teaching degree, so she has been working very diligently in her challenging teaching classes at GBS.  Emily is busy with her sophomore year in college at GBS and enjoying the American Sign Language classes she takes at Cincy State. They both worked at Chick-fil-A all summer, and Emily has continued to work opening shift on Saturdays during the school year.

We have lost several relatives, dear friends, and other acquaintances to death this year.  Recent and unexpected deaths have brought home the renewed realization of how important it is to live ready to die.  We do not know when our last day will be.  We want to always have everything in the clear with God, so when our time comes, there are no question marks about where we are spending eternity.  Right now- while we are alive- is when we have opportunity to make sure we are ready. There is no guarantee that we will have a lingering illness in which to get ready!  And why would we want to waste our lives anyway?  The only joy-filled life is one lived at peace with God, knowing our sins are forgiven and we are in right relationship with God.

Have a Christ-filled Christmas and New Year! 

Rowen, Janet, Elizabeth, and Emily Albertson

 Taken in our backyard November 3 by Danette Teed

Taken at Higher Ground Conference Center at the GBSC Staff Christmas Party by Rachel Pohl