Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Veach family!  We hope this season finds you celebrating the coming of the Christ who brings peace and hope.

We write this post to you after finishing a two week journey back to the USA.  We traveled home on December 17th and spent a week with Jason's family in Missouri.  We then finished up the visit in Kansas with Regan's family which included a celebration of her parents' 50th wedding anniversary.  On Sunday the 27th, we were able to worship with old friends at Christ Community Church in Olathe where Jason was asked to preach (listen here).  We also spent some time enjoying the snow from Kansas City's first blizzard since 1989!

Since we last wrote, Regan has continued to work with curriculum development and quality assurance.  The goal is that students taking classes in ministry preparation at the various learning centers across Europe will all receive the same quality of education.  Regan's role has been important in gathering and compiling feedback from students and lecturers.  Her ministry has been important in helping the school move forward with its goal of becoming one school in many locations.  She has also continued her important ministry of building mentoring relationships with the students on campus.

Carter has, despite the many thousands of miles of travel, adapted very well to our ministry here and has become an integral part of it.  He has continued to enjoy the presence of many college students who love him dearly.  One of his highlights over the past few weeks was running into Santa Claus on the streets of Schaffhausen, Switzerland.  Santa's little helper gave him a piece of sweet bread which he promptly devoured.  Another highlight was getting to ride the London Eye on a quick trip we took to the U.K. before Christmas.  Flights are short in length and cheap in price from here which made for an inexpensive little getaway for us in December.

Jason has since completed teaching a section of Old Testament on campus as well as an online section with some students from Albania.  He has continued to work with the Spiritual Life Team to provide mentoring and teaching on worship and discipleship practices.  One of the highlights of his ministry during the fall session was leading and planning spiritual formation during the season of Advent.  The theme was "Sacred Invitation" and focused on preparing to meet the Messiah of Christmas through a series of four Advent chapels:  Expect. Prepare. Repent. Rejoice.

The season of Advent also brought the unique opportunity for us to participate in the EuNC Advent Concert which included vocal and hand bell choirs.  These concerts are conducted annually as an outreach for the local communities.  The semester ended with the annual Advent banquet where we celebrated the goodness of God and said goodbye to our semester abroad students.

As we begin these next 6 months of volunteer service here at EuNC, we look forward to what lies ahead.  Regan will continue her current role and teach two more courses.  Jason will teach three more courses and continue giving leadership as chaplain supervisor. 

We give God thanks and praise for the work he is doing in the lives of students in Europe and we thank you, our family and friends, for your continued prayers and support which makes this ministry possible.  May God's grace and peace be with you in this new year!