Fa La La La La

Thank you, friends, for your love and support these past few months and for all the gifts this Christmas! We meant to write this post on Christmas Day, but as things often go, we got too busy stuffing our bellies with delicious food.

Here it is, though, a simple thank-you for the gifts we were able to give and receive this Christmas.

Britney got a new scarf, some new tights, and a couple new dresses for Christmas. Caleb got a few books; among them were Phantases, The Iliad, and Brave New World. Along with those gifts, we received several Amazon gift cards that we were excited to put to good use.

On Christmas Day we were blessed to be invited over to our Pastor's home for an early dinner and we spent a great part of the day there, eating and laughing and celebrating the birth of Christ.

We felt extremely loved at Christmas - thank you for your gifts and prayers.

ps: we are starting some "Dossett Family Christmas Traditions." One of them is making peanut-butter balls (or Buckeyes as some may call them), which is something Caleb's mom does for his family!

Let's Take a Break

"And yet, term after term, the unbelievable happened. Fantastical and astronomical figures like 'this time in six weeks' shrank into practicable figures like 'this time next week,' and then 'this time tomorrow,' and the almost supernatural bliss of the Last Day punctually appeared."

Thursday was hardly educational. It was, after all, the Last Day that C.S. Lewis describes and throughout the school all the creatures were stirring, down to the very last mouse. Even we teachers could barely contain our excitement as we waited for that final bell.

Hopefully that doesn't come as a surprise to too many readers: yes, it's true that teachers enjoy Christmas break as well and we, the Dossetts, are not any different. We're crazy excited about getting the chance to sleep in and relax at home. We plan on watching movies and eating Christmas peanut butter balls. Also, we've got plans to check out every district in Vienna and find unique historical sites / cafes / etc. in each one. Even more exciting, one of Caleb's closest friends, Marjun, is in town and we are going to have the chance to hang out with him a lot! Christmas Eve is going to be romantic and peaceful - we're all praying for snow of course.

As you can see, we won't be bored over break and yet, we feel a little hesitant about jumping into these next few weeks without asking for prayer first. You see, it's amazing to reconnect with old friends - but nostalgia comes with that experience and with the nostalgia, the floodgates open and all sorts of emotions spill over. After all, it is Christmas . . .

We miss our parents and grandparents and brothers and best friends and cousins and aunts and uncles and Oakley (Caleb's family's puppy). That's undeniable and Tuesday is looming - who even knows what Wednesday morning will bring as far as emotions go.

And still . . . there's something nagging at the back of our minds. I think it's hope; it's confidence in the hope that God offers his children. 

Caleb & Marjun in Middle School

        

Caleb & Marjun now

Confidence that if a friendship in the Spirit can last as long as this one and be as fruitful despite the lengthy intermissions, then it will be the same with the others that we give to God. He's blessed us with this opportunity to serve and time will end up being of very little consequence. The Last Day always comes, no matter how distant it may seem at the beginning. In the meantime, the Present Days are indisputably vital - the Christian life is one of serving in the Now.

So, even though we would like prayer for Peace and Joy this Christmas, we would like to rejoice with you all in God's goodness and majesty. Look at all these kiddos. We've been serving them for only a little while and already it's been so fruitful.

2nd Grade

4th Grade

Caleb's ELL Class

5th Grade

3rd Grade

Primary

1st Grade

Look out for another post on Christmas day! We love you all and are so thankful for you.

Peace,
Caleb & Britney

How We Learn How We Yearn

Hello Friends!

We are sincerely sorry for this long break between posts! We don't even know . . .

Anyway, thanks for checking back in with us. Lots has happened in the two-ish weeks since we last posted and we'll try our best to cram it all in, right now.

First, check out a blog kept up regularly by our dear friends, Andie and Garrett Rea. They recently posted on what they've learned as twenty-somethings. Through that, they inspired us to share a couple things that we've learned since being here in Vienna:

• Receive humbly. Since becoming missionaries, we have been given so, so much by so many. It's been a huge learning and re-learning experience; like most people, we've got a sense of independency that borders on idolatry of self. Okay, it doesn't even border, it dwells there. Receiving so much love from others has been humbling and it's taught us that we should simply receive with joyful and grateful hearts. 
• Give lavishly. The second step is to give in response to how we've been given. Others have loved us entirely more than we could have expected. God has loved us more than we could ever deserve. Let us give.

So, that's what we've learned. Let us know what any of you have learned as twenty-somethings, thirty-somethings, sixty-somethings . . .

Along with learning, we've also been laughing. Christmas is GORGEOUS HERE!! See evidence below.

We've been roaming the streets, staring at the lights, and collecting Christmas trinkets. We've attended a Before After-Christmas-Party Party and we've hosted our very own Christmas Party for the 10th grade class. This was such a blessing, to get to have the students over and show them love. It's exactly how we prayed God would use us. Please pray for more opportunities to serve the students in our home.

Besides learning and laughing, we've been listening. The Holy Spirit has been speaking to us and guiding us. He has prompted us to take part in a mission's trip to Romania this coming Spring. The school does this trip every year; over a dozen students, typically, go along with chaperones (us) to serve in Romania. We are really excited and planning is in the works! Also, Caleb has been asked to step in as the full-time worship leader at church for the next six months! The current leader and his family are heading back home to the States for that time and Caleb is going to be serving in that capacity until they get back. For both ministries we ask for tons of prayer! 

Finally, we also ask for prayer for joy and peace this Christmas. We're really excited to spend it together and lots of surprises are in store . . . but we still miss home and family. Please be praying for us this season. We are praying for you, dear friends, that you will also experience the joy that is God come down as one of us, to redeem us.

Hallelujah!

Caleb & Britney