It has been a busy Spring! The semester at MNU has come to a close and with that, Regan's responsibilities as a resident educator have shifted to summer housing. It has been so much fun for our family to live and work among these wonderful college students this past year.

Another highlight was Regan's opportunity to travel to Tucson, Arizona to visit her sister Robin. The girls spent time together having manicures, going to farmer's markets, and hiking in the desert.

Jason recently returned from a three and a half week trip to Büsingen, Germany where our family lived and worked last year. He was invited back to EuNC to teach a short term session on Christian Worship. He enjoyed having students from Portugal, Germany, Holland, and Ukraine! On that note, EuNC is currently making some significant changes in the near future so we invite you to pray for them as they seek to move forward. As you can see, Europe holds a very special place in our hearts!

The biggest news in Carter's life is that he recently turned four years old! He is growing and changing every day and constantly surprises us with his desire to learn and make us laugh. His newest accomplishment is riding his new bike (complete with training wheels and a bell!).

Finally, our biggest family news to date is that we will soon be moving to Portland, Oregon! Jason recently accepted a pastoral/ missionary role in which he will help develop and lead a new ministry primarily among young adults. The new ministry is the result of several months of prayer and vision casting among the leadership of Portland First Church of the Nazarene. We are excited to see what God will do!

There are still many unknowns as to what shape this ministry will take so we invite you to join us in prayer as we embark on these next steps. It is our deepest desire that people will come to deeply know the love of God made known in Jesus, sense the warm embrace of His Church, and become lifelong followers of the Way. Now that we have decided to move, there are many details that will need to be worked out. We ask for your prayers as we try to decide what to do with our house in Olathe, seek new housing in Portland, and prepare for this big transition! At this point, we anticipate an early to mid-summer move.
Grace and Peace,
Jason, Regan, and Carter Veach

Many blessings to you during the final days of this Advent season.  Advent is a meaningful time in our household.  We always find ourselves both challenged and renewed in hope as we ponder the implications of Christ's coming into our lives and into our world. 

It has been nearly three months since we last posted a family update.  For those wondering what's happening in our lives, please forgive us!  After a year of living and working abroad, we have been back in the United States now for about five months and while it has taken some readjustment, we have been blessed to surrounded by a vital community, good friends, and of course, family. 

Carter has grown in many ways since our transition.  He enjoys living among college students and the highlight of his week is when he gets to eat lunch at campus center.  He seems to be quite popular among students and staff and loves to scan his official MNU ID card!  While he has done very well considering the amount of transition he's already had in his three short years, the move has also brought some challenges for him.  The year he spent in Europe included limited peer interaction due to the context in which we were working so understandably, he is learning how to interact with others his age.  He attends a local pre-school program once a week and has participated in a soccer program, both of which have helped immensely.

In November, we were able to spend Thanksgiving with Regan's family which meant Carter got lots of play time with his cousins.  We are constantly surprised by his love of learning.  He is reading constantly, continues to love maps, taking photographs, and has even been learning some French with his grandma Spindle!  He is a special guy and we are so proud of him.

Living on campus has provided some avenues for Jason to continue to be engaged in ministry.  He has been able to do some mentoring, speak in a couple of chapel services and substitute teach in the religion and philosophy department.  Spring will bring additional opportunities at MNU and in late March, he will return to European Nazarene College to teach a class on Christian worship.  He anticipates spending time with some previous students and reuniting with the faculty and staff at EuNC.

In closing, we want to wish you a Merry Christmas!  In a world that is marked by brokenness and conflict, it is our prayer that you will experience the presence of the One who brings wholeness and peace. 

Jason, Regan, and Carter Veach