Greetings!

It is my joy to announce several wonderful additions to our family this year! Each of the married children had a baby this year! That means Mom and Dad went from 5 grandchildren to 9 in one year! Remembering birthdays is soon to become a full-time job! 🙂

With many joyful additions came many opportunities for my parents to travel. Those locations included Texas helping David and Priscilla with electrical work on their new home. Toronto, Canada, visiting a new grandbaby! (See more details below) Texas for several weeks throughout the year visiting new grandchildren. Chicago to welcome yet another addition, and most recently a trip to Virginia to spend Thanksgiving with Jennifer’s Family!

Dad continues to work with AECOM. It has been such a blessing to have some flexibility allowing him to work at a distance as they travel. In between the various times of travel Mom, Dad, and Matthew have been diligently working at the farm cleaning and organizing. It is looking better and better each time I come home!

Another special milestone this year was the official retirement of Dad as Principal and Mom as Teacher of Gloria Dei Academy. A special celebration was had to honor the 30+ years Mom has home-educated us with Dad acting as Principal.

It has been a unique experience to have several siblings leaving the nest and beginning their own. It is a blessing that the Lord allows us to be together when He does. Time changes things!

Adam & Valerie made the move to Big Sandy, TX early this year. Adam continues to serve in the IT department for IBLP. Valerie is a full-time stay at home Mom. It was fun to spend some time with her this year! Abigail (3) is a joyful little girl with much capacity for learning! She loves to figure things out! A precious addition to the family was born July 3rd! Timothy Isaac, weighed 9lbs. and was 21.5 inches long. He rolled over for the first time recently and has grown to a whopping 20lbs!

Derrick & Jennifer were married in June of last year. What a blessing Jennifer is to our family! Her enthusiasm for the Lord and joy she brings into everyday life are a wonderful gift. In September, Derrick and Jennifer welcomed their first child into the world, a beautiful baby girl! She is such a treasure! She has so many wonderfully cute expressions! Derrick and Jennifer are moving to Virginia the first part of the year. Derrick will be working with Jennifer’s family on their farm. We will miss them greatly, but hope to visit them often!

Rachelle and Joseph have been married for 7 years now. It’s incredible how fast time flies! Serena Grace (5, soon to be 6!) has a sweet tender heart. She lost her first tooth this year! I, the proud Auntie, got to pull it out for her! 🙂 Nehemiah is growing up quickly, he is now 4 years old and is quite the acrobat. It’s fun to watch him grow and mature. He is a joyful little fellow! Their home was blessed with a special bundle arriving April 5. Hannah Evangeline Elizabeth. 8lbs. 4 oz. She is a smiley little girl and a special treasure!

David and Priscilla, now married for almost 5 years, also made the move to Big Sandy, TX. They purchased a home near the campus and have fixed it up quite nicely. Several of us had the chance to help with this project which built some good memories! Paul (3) is a sweet little guy. His athletic capabilities are beyond any other child I know. He already knows how to play volleyball, football, & throw a Frisbee etc. It’s pretty impressive. Davia (2) enjoys playing with her big brother. She loves people. Has a great smile and wonderful big blue eyes! I think she’s pretty cute! 🙂 A new addition, Phillip Andrew, joined the family on October 19th, weighing 9lbs. 7oz. 22 inches long! He is such a special blessing and I can’t wait to spend more time with him! He has changed so much already!

Sarah, I continue to work down in Florida in Prison Ministry. It has been a privilege and a blessing to be a part of the ministry and see lives changed. It has been a tremendous learning experience. I think I learn equally much, if not more than the inmates I am working with! I have also had the opportunity to give violin lessons to a couple of young people in the area. It’s fun to reinvest what I have received. I am so grateful to get to be home for Christmas this year and spend a month with my family over this Christmas season!

Samuel has been working down in Texas with IBLP as an Administrative Assistant & Communications Coordinator. He is a great guy! I so enjoy time I get to spend talking with or working with him. He makes difficult tasks enjoyable. He traveled the US again this year working with a team including David and Priscilla, to encourage families. He coordinated a large inventory of book sales at four regional conferences. He is a jack of all trades. If you need a job done, you just call Sam! He joyfully helps with any task that needs to be done!

Lydia is serving on staff at In the Gap in Oklahoma City. She is doing graphic design for them. She is gifted in this area, and loves working with the children! She is an energy-giver and cares deeply for those that she ministers too! She had the opportunity this year to go on a missions trip to St. Lucia. She fell in love with the people there, and even though she doesn’t enjoy warm climates, had a wonderful time of ministry. 🙂

Rebecca, continues to serve as David’s right-hand lady in the office. Working conference registration for the annual conferences, meal tickets, working with hotels to get discounted rates for families who come to the conferences. This year she also took on the responsibility of Stage Manager. It was a fun challenge for her. She did a good job! She loves organizing people to get a task accomplished.

Matthew graduated from Gloria Dei Academy this year and has been a huge blessing helping Mom and Dad tidy up the farm. Matthew is very skilled and has a servant’s attitude. One of his projects that he did this year was to rebuild an old-style window replacing various pieces of wood. He has been faithful here at home and I look forward to watching what God has in store for him. He continues to practice piano diligently and has a real gift for music.

That’s a little bit from the Waller household this year! We hope that your household is blessed!

Thank you for reading!

Sarah

(for the Waller family)

Merry Christmas from the Waller Family!!!

We have so much to be grateful to the Lord for this year. Here are just a few of the updates from each of the members of our family.

Mom and Dad celebrated 40 years of marriage this November! It is a special blessing to have parents that have held true to their word, love, and commitment to each other.

They celebrated by returning to the place they met for the very first time. God brought them over 1,500 miles to meet each other in a small Christian retreat center in Washington State. I’m grateful to my parents for so much! I owe so much to them!

Adam and his wife, Valerie, continue to be involved in ministry. Adam’s computer expertise continues to be a blessing to everyone he serves! A beautiful baby girl was born to them September 6th, 2013.

Abigail Renee Waller has been delightful! She loves to climb up and down stairs and is especially intrigued by electronic devices 🙂 . She seems to be pretty quick at finding new settings and features on any cell phone she can get her hands on 🙂 . You can visit their website: www.joyfullservice.com

Derrick continues to farm on the home front, as well as the many other acres he rents and owns. He has around 50 head of cattle that he raises for beef.

Derrick was the main driver for a 9 week, 12,000 mile road trip that he and three of the other guys in our family took. Their main goal was to encourage other families as they gathered to fellowship around the Word of God. They put on many miles and seemed not only to encourage those they connected with, but were also very encouraged themselves. We live in a hurting world. I think many of us can agree with that. It is especially important during these times that we can be encouraged through God’s Word.

Rachelle and her husband, Joseph, continue to raise their two children in Toronto, Canada. It is special every time we get to have a visit with them! The children grow so quickly!

Serena Grace will be four years old in January. She is very full of life with an amazing intellectual capability. She loves to play at the park especially when it includes a splash park! She is also learning to ride her bicycle and does very well.

Nehemiah turned two this fall. He has a smile that is irresistible. His strength and muscle control is incredible. One day, I saw him in action as he was playing at the park. With a shovel of sand in one hand, he began to climb on the jungle-gym-train. First he stepped on the back of a train using no hands, just balancing, as he placed one foot almost waist high and slowly climbed the back of the train. What coordination! He loves to play! Both Nehemiah and Serena Grace run very fast!

David and Priscilla continue to maintain a very full schedule in ministry. They love to open their home and have shown much hospitality as various ones of us travel through the Chicago area. Paul continues to grow and is full of energy! He is now 21 months and immensely enjoys playing with balls! His understanding of sports is incredible. He’ll pick up a volleyball and want you to lift him up so he can toss it over the net. Same with basketball. How does a child who is not even two know that stuff?

On November 12, 2014, he was very excited, along with his parents, to welcome the newest addition of the family, a baby sister, Davia [deh-VEE-uh] Lynn Waller. She is a beautiful baby at just 6 weeks old. Both mommy and baby are doing very well. You can visit their website: www.davidlovespriscilla.com

Sarah, the writer of this article, had the privilege this past year and a half of serving in a prison ministry that is taking place in Central Florida. God is doing a tremendous work and it has been exciting to be a part of it.

One inmate was in tears as I shared with her the promise from God’s Word that, as a child of God, He would never leave or forsake her. Many times I take for granted the precious promises of God’s Word that some have never heard or have not taken for themselves.

Though outwardly they cannot experience many of the freedoms I enjoy, many of them are freer on the inside than people I see walking around in the “free-world”. Some of the most Godly, strong Christians I know are behind the walls of that prison!

Samuel is an energy giver! He is a tremendous uncle to his nieces and nephews! Samuel served on staff at In The Gap for two years!

He was a tremendous aid to the team as they taught character in classrooms and after-school Bible Clubs in the public schools of Oklahoma City.

He is an amazing “go-to-person” for just about anything. He’ll find a way to help! This summer, when our family purchased a 15 passenger van, we discovered it had some pretty serious undercarriage and front end damage. Samuel spent hours replacing necessary parts and making it a vehicle we are able to use!

Lydia is growing in her abilities with graphic arts. She is now serving at a ministry in that capacity. She also spent time at In The Gap and served on their graphics team, helping keep people updated on the work happening in that very important harvest field.

Lydia has a heart for the lost. She loves to talk one-on-one with people and lead that conversation towards the Lord. Just the other day I overheard her talking with a girl. “Do you know who Jesus is?” What an important question! Lydia accompanied Samuel as they helped lead programs for children across the country in three different locations this year.

Rebecca is a dynamic young lady with lots of talent! She was at home for several months this year, but has recently joined David in the office at the ministry where he is serving.

She is a tremendous asset to the ministry. She is very diligent and organized and seems to be a perfect fit! She continues to grow in her skills of piano playing. It is fun to listen and watch her play.

Matthew is quickly becoming one of the tallest members of the family. He has been a huge blessing cutting fire wood, washing dishes, singing, and helping out in various other ways around the farm.

He is a very cheerful guy. He is very good at striking up conversations with people he hasn’t met before. He took the 9 week trek along with the others. It was a neat experience to travel around the country and get to meet many new people.

He has especially grown in his singing ability these past few years. As the four brothers traveled along, they were able to practice singing together. Matthew has a beautiful baritone voice and added a very nice touch to the quartet.

Thank you for being a part of our family through your support, love, and prayers! I realize it has been a long time since we have posted anything on the website and wanted to take some time and update you on each member of the family. May God bless you and give you a Joyful Christmas, realizing that He is the GREATEST GIFT ever given! Merry Christmas!