Clausons in Monterrey

"Joy and sadness are as close to each other as the splendid colored leaves of a New England fall to the soberness of barren trees.  When you touch the hand of a returning friend, you already know that he will have to leave you again."

Henri J.M. Nouwen

After three months of traveling the mid-west, visiting friends and family and churches, we can identify well with Nouwen's observation.  The joy of reuniting with loved ones is so closely tied to the sorrow of knowing our time with them will be short and we will soon be on our way; wishing we had more time with family and yet missing sleeping in our own bed (we slept in 18 different beds in three months!).

Well, we didn’t quite get a Christmas letter out this year, but we did enjoy receiving communication from so many of you. 

Reflecting on the Advent season, we realize it was quite different than what we expected.  Normally, we look forward to Christmas as a time to be with family and a chance to take some extra time in devotions and reflect on Christ’s coming to earth.  While we did have a great time when Nils’ parents came for ten days on New Year Eve, for the first time in our marriage we were not with extended family for Christmas. 

And seeking quiet time with God, of course, is more difficult with two little boys, but it was much harder this season as we found ourselves being called away to spend time with friends in the midst of crisis and suffering – one friend experiencing the sudden death of a parent, a Mexican colleague being diagnosed with cancer, a couple close to us going through marital crisis.  While it was not our typical devotions with a Henri Nouwen book, we found God speaking to us, reminding us of His presence with us as we walked alongside our friends in their suffering and how He and often those closest to Him also experienced pain and suffering here on this earth. 

We look forward to all that God is already doing and will do in 2008!  We ask you to join us in praise and prayer for the following things:

• On January 24th we began a new semester of the weekly English club for kids and youth from our neighboring communities La Campana and Burocratas.  While the kids are in their class, the women have an arts and crafts class and a Bible study.  We praise God for the amazing participation we've seen so far - around 30 kids from ages 6-18 and around 10 women! 
• On January 25th we celebrated all that God accomplished in and through the ministry of the Family Foundation with our annual dinner for our volunteers and benefactors.
• The first week of February we started a new cycle of classes.  We ask your prayers for Claudia Bahena, the facilitator of the parenting course who has typhoid fever and whose daughter has chicken pox. 
• We look forward to receiving Cheri Auman from World Mission member care team for a time of team building as well as a group from Eagle River, AK toward the end of February.
• Nils has the opportunity to visit supporting churches of ours and the Foundation in WA during the first week of March.  Please pray for traveling mercies and good visits for Nils and for Erika as she will stay home with the boys.
• Please continue to pray for Carlos Barragan, our colleague and friend who is battling cancer and just finished his third round of chemotherapy.

Thank you for your partnership with us and your commitment to our ministry and to our family, which was demonstrated to us in a variety of personal ways during our time of home assignment and the Christmas season.  We praise God for such loving and caring friends and family!