2016 Suvar Christmas Letter

For the last 5 years we have taken the money that we would have paid for Christmas cards, pictures, and postage and put that money towards a charity.  For the last four years that money has gone to World Vision to buy a goat and few chickens for a family in poverty.

This year, with the added commissions from my Rodan+Fields business, we are able to add a cow into the mix.

So instead of a picture in the mail with a happy holiday greeting, you get this update. And a montage of pictures taken this past summer by my friend, Jess (http://www.j3designsphotography.com/).

Owen is 10 and is in 4th grade.  He is reading books at a high school level, building fantastic creations with his Legos, and aspires to be a surgeon someday. Hannah is 8 1/2 and is in 3rd grade this year.  Hannah is our in-house creative and singer.  Daily she is writing stories, drawing pictures, and creating new things out of items found in our recycling bin.  All of her requests, questions, and stories come to us through song and melody.  Sometimes it takes 3 minutes to tell us something that really only takes 30 seconds, but at least there is entertainment through it all.  Madeline is nearly 7, in 1st grade, and has quite the personality.  She is the most independent and headstrong of the three.  She loves to make little people out of simple ordinary objects (erasers, corks, clothespins), cuddle on the couch, and make us laugh daily with the little things she says and does.

In June, Paul finished up his second year of teaching with much singing and rejoicing from me.  Having put in more hours in 8 months than a full time job does in 12, I was so very thankful to have him around for the summer.  There was still lesson planning to do, but we enjoyed some respite through the summer months. I continue to work for Gateway Woods as the Secretary in the Foster Care Department. I love being the support behind the department as we license foster parents and support them as they take care of hurting children.

I haven't been very active on this blog over the past year as I have poured my time usually spent writing into building my side business. In November of 2015 I took a leap and joined as a Consultant of a skincare company, Rodan+Fields. For quite some time Paul and I have desired to live off as little as possible and give most of our income away. We felt like we were about to the point of squeezing blood from a turnip, when God brought along this out-of-the-box way of funding His Great Commission. This past year has been a lesson in trust, waiting on God's timing, getting a better understanding of what giving really looks like, and changing our question from "How much should we give?" to "How much should we keep?" 

Each of us is called to serve the Kingdom in different ways, and different capacities. I pray that each person who reads this will realize they have a part in furthering the Kingdom, and that 2017 will bring it into clearer focus just what that may be.

We thank you for your prayers and want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas.  We are so thankful that so many years ago Jesus was willing to come to earth and live a human life, devoid of sin, and die on the cross for each of our sins.  We don’t deserve His sacrifice on our behalf, but we are SO very thankful for it!

A very Merry Christmas and a joyful, Happy New Year!

Love,

The Suvars

Paul, Nichole, Owen, Hannah, and Madeline