Life in The Family International

What are you most hoping to accomplish this Christmas season?
I have just finished a huge event for 100 terminally-ill kids. It was our biggest party of the year. I work with kids with cancer, so to close the year that we have all been together, we had an awesome party in a football field, and [...]

Vas: Here’s a funny story about a Christmas from way back. This happened when a team of us young people were on a faith trip. I explained in a previous post what a faith trip is. Actually Joni was there too, this was way before we were married but we were there on the same [...]

Vas: Well Christmas to me is a time to do what I should hopefully be doing all year round, which is to follow in the footsteps of the One who lived for others, always thinking of those in need whether the need is physical, spiritual or emotional. I know this is something that should not [...]

What would you say was your most unusual place to have Christmas? Any interesting, weird or wonderful Christmas customs in your current field?
I wouldn’t say “unusual”, but I found that the Decembers I spent in Uganda were different because they were so ‘quiet’, as compared to my home-country. In Kampala, everyone goes back to their [...]

What would you say was your most unusual place to have Christmas? Any interesting, weird or wonderful Christmas customs in your current field?
My first Mexican Christmas felt unusual, as it was my first Christmas in the northern hemisphere. It seemed so weird to be cold! Ha. It actually snowed in Monterrey on the 24th of [...]

Joni:
What does Christmas mean to you?
Christmas means fun, enjoyment, laughter, hugs, a time when the feelings of love you have for those around you come out in their fullness. There’ssomething magical about Christmas and I love it! To me also Christmas is so much for children (you should see our room right now, it looks [...]

What does Christmas mean to you?
I’m pretty fanatical about it being Jesus’ birthday, and a time to commemorate that. Of course, that doesn’t rule out the abundance of parties and time spent with friends and family–family, on the actual Christmas eve and Christmas Day…and parties with friends every other night (or [...]

What does Christmas mean to you?
The frills of Christmas lost their appeal after a few really hectic seasons, so I decided I’d try to focus on love and smiles. So now I guess it means to me a time to maximize on the amount of love you can give. I like Christmases that are full [...]

Tell us a special Christmas story—a Christmas miracle or something fun that happened when you were young?
Joni: This is one Christmas miracle that happened to us that I’ll never forget. It was Christmas Eve, 2000. Rowen was two years old and Chad had just turned one in October. We were out Christmas caroling and had [...]