Dear Family & Friends,
Happy Holidays! Since the last holiday season, our family has moved from Fort Campbell, KY to our current duty station at Fort Benning, GA. This year I felt the overwhelming urge to put up the Christmas decorations early, when dawned on me that we spent last Christmas homeless and in transition…just like Joseph and a very pregnant Mary who encountered no room at the inn.
In January, we moved into a house on Fort Benning and quickly began the process of making it into a home. Living on-post has been a new but wonderful experience, shortening the work commute for Roland and allowing us more family time in an active community. We enrolled Nathan and Ali into a local private school and they’ve done amazingly well with the transition (while maintaining their honor roll status), which always puts a parent’s anxious heart at ease.
Nathan, age 10, is currently in the fifth grade. His love of reading runs deep and can almost always be found with his nose in a book (unless he’s playing video games). At school he’s joined the TOME Literacy Society, as well as switching over to an individual sport by joining the golf team. His favorite school subjects are Social Studies and Science.
Alison, age 8, is in the third grade. She is definitely the artistic one and has enjoyed learning the piano, as well trying out various craft classes, like sewing, crocheting and pottery. Her favorite school subjects are Art, Math and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math).
This year Roland and I celebrated 15 years of marriage and life together truly seems to get better over time. Roland is loving his new assignment here at Fort Benning as the Chaplain for the 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, also known as the “Lethality Battalion”. He ministers to the instructors and staff of the Combatives, Sniper, Master Gunner and various other leadership schools, while also serving as a pastor at Soldier’s Chapel, holding services for trainees.
I continue to work for various wedding industry vendors in Hawaii, and appreciate the flexibility that working at home has afforded me. This fall I also volunteered as a Bible study facilitator, as well as the Inreach-Outreach coordinator of a Bible study ministry for spouses of soldiers.
This past summer we stayed close to home so we could explore more of the Columbus, GA area and allow the kids to attend various summer camps. We’re excited to head back to Hawaii next summer for my brother’s wedding and for an extended vacation.
There’s much to be thankful for as we look back upon 2018. Most of all, we’re thankful for the gift of Jesus, through whom all things are possible and for all of you, our beloved family and friends. We hope that this year has been a blessing to you, with even greater things to come in 2019!
With Love and Aloha,
Roland, Elana, Nathan & Alison