Merry Christmas Family and Friends! The year 2017 has been so hectic, especially these last few months, that I really debated whether or not to send cards this year. Some have told me that they look forward to my letter and card each year, so I am going to persevere. I think though that this year many of you will be receiving this letter electronically. 
At the conclusion of last year’s letter, I was planning a trip to San Antonio to see my childhood best friend whom I had lost touch with and had not seen in 30 years! Well, the trip was a success. Sandra and I clicked as we did 30 years ago. It felt like we had never been apart, and we know we are family. I am so thankful to God for allowing us to finally find each other.
In December, I brought home my dog Glory. She was 3 weeks old when I brought her home because her mother stopped feeding her. She is a German Shepard/Great Pyrenees mix, and if you are my friend on Facebook, you know how cute she is! She’s a year old now and weighs over 70 lbs!
I have done a lot more travel within the US visiting different Nightlight offices this year. In February, I went to Missouri for work and received a last minute invitation to see Bon Jovi in concert while I was in town! Those MO girls sure know how to impress the boss.
In March, I made a trip to Uganda. I traveled with a co-worker from our TX office. We visited our baby home again and met with officials trying to decipher the way adoptions will work in Uganda under the new laws. We are still deciphering.
I got to go to CO 3 times this year for work events and conferences. I missed Colorado while living on the east coast so it has been a lot of seeing the beautiful Rocky Mountains 3 times already! In May, I took vacation time to install a new privacy fence at my house. My cousin gave me a great price on labor, and my whole family pitched in to get the fence up. It was a lot of work but totally worth it!
In August, I was able to visit another new country. This year, I went to Honduras for the first time! I traveled there to begin the process for adoptions, and Nightlight now has a Honduras adoption program! I was able to travel with an interested adoptive family who approached us about opening a program there. I met some lovely people, and I’m looking forward to helping Honduran waiting children find a family.
In September, my mother and I went on an epic road trip adventure. We visited Mt Rushmore, Yellowstone, The Grand Tetons, Salt Lake, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Carmel by the Sea, Las Vegas, The Grand Canyon, The Petrified Forest, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe. Some of the highlights of the trip are: staying in a tiny gypsy house in San Francisco, seeing the ocean from Big Sur, and seeing the giant sequoia trees up close and personal. Of all the cities we visited, I think Santa Fe was my favorite. Also in September, Ken (baby home director in Uganda) traveled to the US for a month. As soon as we returned from our vacation, Ken came to Oklahoma for a few days. Hosting Ken was a lot of fun because, other than Kassie who went with me to Uganda in 2010, my Ugandan family has never met the rest of my US family. I’m so glad my family was finally able to meet Ken and get to know him better.
October got really crazy as I traveled to TX, CO, KY, MO, and back to KY all in one month. All of these trips were work related. Now, here we are in November again. Things have not slowed down. On November 11, 2017, I ran the Nightlight virtual 5K with Glory. Because it was her first 5K, I let her wear the metal for a little while. I hosted Thanksgiving at my house again this year, and we had 17 people. Next month, our Oklahoma Nightlight office is moving locations, and today I found out that I will be hosting a Colombian orphan for Christmas! Prepare to see lots of photos of Sunny as I advocate to find her a forever family. If you would like more information about Sunny, please message me on Facebook or just give me a call.
In other news, I finally found a church home. After a year of trying different churches in Tulsa, I have become a member of Guts Church. I am excited about the ministries at Guts and can’t wait to get more involved. Thank you to all who prayed for me to find a church home. Your prayers were answered. I pray that all of you have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year! I know that not everyone has had a great year and the holidays can be lonely and hard. Please know that the Father above loves you and wants to comfort you.
Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32
God Bless,

Lisa