Before breaking into the social media scene, our family gave an annual update through our Christmas letter. I already posted the Christmas Epistle (2010), written like a Bible account, but here are a few more we scrounged up from the past…
2009
Greetings from the hustling, bustling land of Stillwater—home of the world famous Oklahoma State Cowboys and, to be more germane, the Rench family.
Life has been hopping for us in the big town—cow-tippin’… ‘coon-huntin’… tractor races, and the like. What a time!
Actually, to be honest, we’ve never done any of those things, and we don’t say “and the like.” But, oh my, what a time it has been! Looking back at this year has been a sobering feeling, because now we are already looking at the close of our Stillwater “chapter” and we feel like we just started it! A few months ago we did a scrapbook of our wedding and honeymoon, and we have been collecting materials for our upcoming Oklahoma section—chapter 2.
It has sure been neat to be here, and what we are learning is SO important and foundational to everything that we will do the rest of our lives. Ryan’s internship with Bible Baptist Church will be ending in May, and that same month he will be graduating with his Master’s of Ministry degree. Jamie has continued as the church secretary, and the people here have grown to love her very much. Already the comments are coming—“Jamie has to stay. Ryan can move away, but he has to leave her.”
We’ve become the Jr. High teachers while continuing as the youth helpers, and it’s been incredible to see God work in our 45 (or so) adopted kids’ lives. (By the way—no biological kids yet. We have to make it on a cruise first!)
Ryan has been working more and more with the graphics/media aspects of the church, and Ryan and Jamie both enjoy working as a team on projects like the church calendars, the bulletins, the website (new in Jan. 2010), and all kinds of little print projects. Ryan likes to design and Jamie, with her OCD, likes to make it all line up perfectly. 🙂
Time is flying and I’m sure that the day after tomorrow we’ll be 60 years old, but we’re doing all we can to make the most of where God has us right now. (Gal. 6:7 Working on “that”) We’ve surely been a blessed couple this year, and what a fun time it is serving God here at a great church!
Merry Christmas!
Ryan and Jamie Rench
2010
See Christmas Epistle post…
2011
Temecula’s been good to us this year… both inches of rain helped green the rolling hills, and the sun is giving us a nice winter tan. We were honored that a few people from our “past life” came to visit, and the invitation still stands for the rest of you: “Come west!” Maybe we’ll get to host you at our church’s national meeting in February… or just come any time you want!
Our ministry at Calvary Baptist Church has been our lives, and it is REALLY neat to not only look ahead, but now also to look BACK. It’s very fulfilling to see God working on our teens’ lives, growing them from where they were from when we first met them to where they are now. The biggest events of this year were our winter camp, our first annual Preaching Rally, a trip to Heartland and summer camp; but the real changes are coming from the day-to-day, week-to-week investments. I’m telling you… nothing is better than God’s plan!
While we LOVE our work and the people we work with, we also love to just hang out by ourselves. “SoCal” is THE place to be for a fun-loving couple, and we’ve tried to hit as many activities as possible this year. For our anniversary, we were marooned on Catalina Island, and on our days off we tried to take little day trips all over: Live Oak Park, Disneyland, Newport Beach, bike rides, days with friends, holocaust museum, music museum… endless fun! We vacationed up the coast this year, 4-wheeling the dunes of Pismo Beach and camping in the redwoods of Big Sur.
We sure hope all of you are doing well! Merry Christmas and have a great 2012!
Ryan and Jamie Rench (& Baby Rench, coming July 2012)
2012
Dear people I don’t really know yet,
Mom and Dad told me to write this year’s card, even though I don’t even really know you. Oh well. That will come in time. I barely even recognize them sometimes, and I hang out with them every day.
All three of us went on a cruise to Mexico this year. For me it wasn’t that great… I had the most cramped cabin of all and Mom wouldn’t even let me come out to see the whales. I went snorkeling with her though. That was fun.
When the doctor finally freed me from the dark bondage (7/22) everyone made a big fuss. They haven’t stopped. Everywhere I go people wake me up and get all up in my face. It’s weird. Dad and Mom are the worst. I get them back by spitting up on them. That’ll teach you to tickle me with your whiskers, Dad. At least he sneaks me ice cream when Mom’s not looking.
Mom’s awesome. We hang out a lot. Dad always hands me to her and says “Your turn” whenever my stomach hurts and then feels better. She takes me to my room and takes off my clothes and my nice padding. That makes me cold, Mom! Happens a lot. Several times a day. Oh well. At least that smell always goes away when she’s done…
Anyway, I’m really tired now so I’ve got to talk real loud for a while and then go to sleep. It’s just what I do. I guess I’m supposed to say “I love you.” Not sure why. I don’t even know you. Say something weird and I’ll smile at you, but that’s about the only love I know how to give. My parents say “hi.”
Merry Christmas!
-Abe Rench
2013
Okay… for the three of you that care about what we did all year, here’s the boring part of the card…
It was a typical year for us in ministry, although radically different at home. Abe great like crazy and celebrated his first birthday in Jule with a cake all to himself. Grammie and Grampie were able to be out for that, and they got to see how he heats more than all his Rench cousins combined.
We got a sooner-than-anticipated car upgrade this year (thanks, Eddie, for your great driving skills!) from our Silverado truck to a nice Ford Flex. I am anti-minivan, and the Flex is a hip little car with a full 7 seats plus a trunk–bonus for all this kid stuff we have to lug around now.
Jamie is due March 4 with Charlotte. If the ultrasound was wrong and she comes out as a boy, we have a few names to choose from, but nothing settled, yet. Let’s hope all the cute little girl clothes Jamie is buying will not be in vain.
Training Abe has been a full-time job in itself. Hopefully, he grows up to be a blessing and not a terror. We’re working on it… I promise you that.
At work, we have been as busy as ever. I’ve been working on a few little booklets and some little side jobs to try to save up for a house down payment (someday!), and Jamie is still working one day a week at church. We had an extra-busy year with the teens as we added a missions trip to Alaska in August, and 2014 promises to be even busier as we are hosting camps and working on a few big projects to come.
Praise God for using us and growing us last year. We pray the same for the year to come.
Merry Christmas, the Rench family (Ryan, Jamie, Abe and Charlotte)
R&J: “It’s been real. It’s been fun. Another baby’s on the way. I had fun with my son. We did a ton with the youth group–camp, activities, Alaska; you know, the usual. Words are sparse this year, so we decided to give you a bunch of cute baby pictures, instead.”
Abe: “I do I do I do. Nanana dadada. Hi. Hi kitty. Gabunanananu. Ha hu ha he ha ho ho ho.”
Charlotte: “It’s cramped in here, guys!”
