Our Christmas Letter 2023

 

Dear Friends and Family

Our wedding vows affirmed that the “Prince of Peace brought us together for a purpose greater than we can imagine” and
these words proved prophetic. Five years ago we were led to start Making Housing and Community Happen, a nonprofit dedicated to God’s vision of a world free from war and housing insecurity: “Everyone ‘neath their vine and fig tree will live at peace and unafraid, and into ploughshares turn their swords, nations shall learn war no more” (Micah 4:4). Our little nonprofit has thrived and accomplished great things, for which we thank God.

Sadly, however, our world has not taken to heart the message of the Prince of Peace. We grieve along with the people of Israel/Palestine, Ukraine and other parts of world who have lost loved ones to wars. Father Issa Thalijeh, an Orthodox priest in Bethlehem, recently said: “These are very, very sad times. But the message of Bethlehem and the message of Christmas, which is the message of peace, is more important than ever.”

Grateful for the love of Jesus that has transformed our lives and is transforming our world, we send our love and best wishes to you this Christmas! We thank God for the gift of family and friends who have enriched our lives and made this year very special.

Here are some highlights of 2023:

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¨ Traveling to the Dominican Republic for a special gathering of Jill’s mission, Mission Door, which she has been
part of since 1977. We loved Santo Domingo, especially the plaza filled with families, jugglers, live music and more, next to the stunning Cathedral of Santa María la Menor built of coral, begun in 1512 and completed in 1550, in continuous use ever since. This city was founded by the brother of Christopher Columbus and was the first European city in the Americas.

¨ Traveling to Greece to visit Anthony’s family and historic sites: Olympia-where the torch is lit; the cave of St. John the Revelator in Patmos; the amazing cliffside monasteries of Meteora; sites like Ephesus associated with St. Paul and more! We traveled with our friends Carolyn and Sylvester Williams and Anthony’s sister Elizabeth and Anthony's cousins Alexandra and Peter, who hosted us at their home in Saronida, a coastal city south of Athens. Alexandra arranged a special memorial service honoring Anthony’s father, aunts and uncles in the church on the island of Andros where Anthony’s Dad was born.

¨ Celebrating Jill’s 70^th birthday—she still can’t really believe she is 70, except for all the aches and pains telling her it’s true.

¨ Watching movies like “The Burial" with Jamie Foxx, “Blue Miracle” with Jimmy Gonzalez, and “The Chosen” series with a group of friends from First United Methodist Church of Pasadena (FUMC).

¨ Relaxing and having fun with Jill’s sister Jana and her husband Dwight who have been visiting from

Mexico/Washington State. We enjoyed fabulous Christmas programs put on by Azusa Pacific University at Lake Ave Church, Pasadena United Methodist Church (which we attend regularly), and First Baptist (where we were married 12 years ago!). What a blessing to be in a city with such beautiful sacred music honoring the birth of Christ!

¨ The birth of Tatum, Jill’s grandnephew; following the travels of Sarah and Andrew (who were married this year); and feeling incredibly blessed to be related to Jana and Dwight’s 8 children and their families, as well as to Emily and Demetrius, Anthony’s nephews.  

¨ Celebrating the fifth anniversary of our nonprofit, Making Housing and Community Happen, at New Life Holiness Church in the heart of Pasadena’s African American community, where we also celebrated the completion of the N. Fair Oaks Vision Plan, which, if approved by our City Council, will ensure a bright future for this neglected area, a once-thriving African American neighborhood.

¨ Celebrating the passage of SB 4, the bill that rezones religious land and nonprofit colleges for affordable housing statewide, which we have been working on for three years. Woo hoo! And the launching of our Congregational Land Apprenticeship program where teams now forming in TX, CO, WA, and Nor Cal.

¨ Joining hundreds of Christians, Muslims and Jews each Monday at Rep. Judy Chu’s office asking for a ceasefire in Israel/Palestine (both sides).

¨ Finding a wonderful gardener and working with him on a delightful garden which gives us veggies and abundant fruit, reminding us of God’s abundance and endless love.

¨ Visiting Donna Shook, Jill’s Mom, each week in her board and care—she is now 93! She has late stage Alzheimer’s and ready to be home with the Lord. Her art is in galleries across the US, check it out here: https://www.donnashookwatercolors.com/

¨ Overcoming bedbugs that invaded our home while we were on vacation(see our poem).

 

We are looking forward to the New Year and a much-needed 5-month sabbatical starting in May. We love our work with MHCH, but we feel led to take a time of for rest and renewal. Jill has been doing intense housing justice work for 23 years. We are grateful to Bert Newton and our staff for stepping up to the plate to carry forward the mission of MHCH during this time of transition.

Love,

 Anthony and Jill