Christmas Letter

Not everyone got a copy of our Christmas letter this year, so I thought it would be nice to share it on here as well....


The 1st Tiedeck Christmas Letter

Every year we get lots of Christmas letters from people telling us all about what has been going on in their lives over the past year, and we always thought it would be nice to have enough things to say to fill a letter. Well guess what, 2007 was a crazy year, and we have plenty of things to share in a Christmas letter this year.

The year started off with a bang! Ending 2006 Janice was still searching for her first call, and low and behold within the 1st 2 days of the year, we were invited to look at a church in Beckley WV, we traveled down there on the 6th of January and well the rest is history. After three months of meetings and interviews, and committees and what not, we moved to Beckley WV on April 1st. We were welcomed by the youth, it was a wonderful way to begin our ministry down here. In May Janice was ordained into the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church USA. It was a wonderful celebration, and a day Janice will never forget.

Upon our moving from the Philadelphia area we needed to decide where we would live, at which point the decision to purchase our first home was made. We traveled down here twice looking for homes but it was on the second visit that we fell in love with a home that was an easy walk to church, at .4 of a mile it would be very convenient. So we became homeowners. Which has been an adventure all of its own. It is definitely a house after our own hearts, and Baxter has made himself very much at home, in fact, he definitely runs things.

So the only question left upon moving, was what was Jay going to do. For many years Jay has wanted to go back to school, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity for that to happen. So this fall Jay went back to school, he is attending Concord University and is majoring in Psychology. So far, the A’s are just rolling in, not that there were any doubts. He is also working part time at the mall as a piano sales clerk, so if anyone is looking to buy a piano, please let us know.

2007 has definitely been a year of transition and change. Our lives have changed forever; we have left dear friends behind and are now even farther from some family. We have traveled to a new place to do new things, but the best part of it all is that we know that we are where God wants us to be right now, so it is a wonderful time in deed. We have enjoyed getting to know a new area. This part of the country is so beautiful.

The year has had many blessings, but there were also many times for sadness. This year we lost some friends and family. Especially hard was the death of Janice’s grandma in June. Along with the deaths of a friend from Seminary and 2 great uncles. Many wonderful people were lost, but the family also welcomed one new cousin, and the opportunity to get to meet and see some other members of the next generation.

It has been a wonderful year, we just wanted to take a moment to share some of the joys and concerns this year brought us. As we continue in this advent season, we pray everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday season. With the chance to see loved ones and to celebrate the true reason for the season. Know that we think of you all often and miss you terribly.

Love

Jay and Janice Tiedeck