Happy New Year!!!! - from Vivian

I thought I would take advantage of the quiet house to write and wish all of you a Happy New Year. Amber and Robby were at a lock-in last night so they are passed out and Paul has taken the puppy with him to run errands. I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends and that you are ready for this new year. I am so excited about what is to come! Paul and I have been spending a lot of time praying and laying a foundation for Hope Church. We have had some time to experience Lakeland and have a better picture of the church culture here. We have really sensed God's leading in the direction He wants us to take and we are anxious to be in the middle of the crazy, busy, WONDERFUL life of ministry. :)

This morning when I woke up I breathed a great sigh of relief knowing that 2009 was over. We enjoyed some very special moments but there were many difficult ones as well. Amber left for Nashville and Paul and I were forced to let go and put her in God's hands in a very real way. Her seven months at Mercy were a beautiful mixture of tears, decisions, and freedom for her. She has 40+ sisters that she misses much more than she expected. I always know when she is talking to Ashley (her roomie) because there is a sparkle in her eyes and I see peace come over her again. The girls and staff at Mercy share more life and Jesus with each other than most of us do in a lifetime. The adjustment to life outside of Mercy has been particularly hard for Amber, though. She left a life where she was focused on her relationship with God in every area of her life and a 24 hour staff of ladies that challenged and encouraged her to see the world through HIS eyes 24/7. Now she is in a different culture where all of her beliefs and her freedom is openly challenged by life and the world and those 40+ sisters are not here for her. We love and encourage and sometimes challenge her but for a 19 year old it just isn't the same. She will begin college in 10 days and we are very excited for her to begin this new journey. She is a very gifted young woman with so much to give the world. I know she doesn't recognize it, but we see it in the way she interacts with the children at church and recently I observed her interacting with some residents at an assisted living facility. I was in awe of how comfortable she was and how she loved on the residents.

Robby is doing really well in his classes and has a girlfriend. Courtney is a sweet girl and we have become friends with her grandmother so we know a little about how she is being raised and the kind of person that she is. Robby seems to be head over heels and I am proud to say is being an honorable young man and treating her like a princess.

Paul has searched for a job ever since we moved to Florida. He worked for UPS during the Christmas rush and will be taking a class next week to be certified to do taxes. That should take him through April. I will be playing chauffeur to Paul and Amber and keeping Robby on track with homeschooling. I have been enjoying creating a vision for our future children's ministry and women's ministry. We have settled on a logo and theme and we are launching Hope Church with a vision and understanding that it will take all of us to accomplish the work that God has set before us. I have had so much fun looking at different websites and learning new things and getting totally psyched about all of it. It has been a long time. Paul and I have found such a freedom and excitement in being the people that He created us to be and able to do the things God has called us to do.

In 2009 the River City pastors led us in a series called "Heroes." I have not been able to get their messages off my mind and they really were a confirmation to me that it was time for us to do what He has called us to do! I have also thought about my own heroes of the faith. Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife MaryBeth are such an inspiration to me. They are very real and open about their journey and I have been blessed by their testimony and faith in the midst of horrible tragedy. They aren't perfect but they encourage me to hang on and to believe that He is who He says that He is. Jim Cymbala is another hero of mine. Again, he is not perfect but he followed through with his calling and God has done something amazing through him. Beth Moore. I know many people are rolling their eyes but I have found her to be very real and a woman after God's own heart. She encourages me in that we share some things and she won't let me rest in my pity party but leads me to truth and most importantly always points my heart to Him. I have watched so many of you grow and you spur me on in the faith and make me want to be more like Him. Ms. Esther you will always have a special place in my heart. Your faith and godliness ministered to me in so many moments when I missed my own mother so much. Andrea, your mom made a permanent impression on my life and I pray that when I close my eyes for the last time on this earth that my children will be able to see that smile on my face and be comforted that I see Him face to face! There are so many things that God has laid on my heart for so long and now I feel like He continually tells me: O.K. it is time! Be my hands and feet with freedom and know that I am carrying you where I want you to go. The last six years have been very difficult for my family but I believe that it has been a time of preparation for the work that He has for us. He has been so faithful and we have learned a lot about HOPE and have seen how the world is in desperate need of HOPE. I wish you could all come join us on this adventure!

We enjoy reading about what is going on with all of you on Facebook and I hope that you know how much we miss all of you. I pray that this year you feel His hands upon you guiding you in the way that you should go. I pray that you experience His love, His peace and joy that can only come from Him. There are many lessons that I have learned in the past few years but the most important is that it really is ALL about Him and I can do nothing without Him.

I am very blessed to be married to Paul Malson and to be a mom to my children. They are the "icing on the cake" and they are blessings that I once believed that I could never have. My wildest dreams could not compare to the wonderful reality that they are. I am also blessed to have wonderful family and friends. "Malson Mom," there are no words to express to you how wonderful the two weeks were that we shared in October. The laughter, the talks and just the way you loved on us was the perfect medicine that we needed during that time. We left Texas at peace. I want to thank you and dad for the that gift. You are loved very much!

May God Bless You All!

Vivian

Walking

The past two and one half weeks I worked as a UPS driver’s helper. I now have a new appreciation for the number of packages, the number of stops and even the number of steps a driver takes every day. What a job!

I…

• Delivered packages to 204 houses on Friday a week ago and 193 houses on Wednesday.

• Took 17,253 steps on that Friday and just over 13,900 steps on Wednesday.

• That equates to 8.17 miles on Friday and 6.6 miles on Wednesday in 30 yards sprints from the truck to the house or business.

• The steps in and out of the truck equate to ascending and descending about 20 stories per day.

Needless to say, my knees are a bit sore after all this but I am thankful that I was paid to get daily exercise rather than joining a gym!

But this is also good practice. Beginning in January, we will kick off Servant Evangelism Saturdays to go connect to people in our community. At this point, we will be heading to a particularly busy park to hand out bottles of water and share Hope Church with those we meet.

If you want to join us, then let me know and COME ON!!!!!

If you want to contribute to the ministry of Hope Church and buy some water bottles, then send me an email and let me know. We’ll send you the address where you can mail your checks. And yes, we can also accept online donations. Just ask!

New Years blessings from the Malsons and Hope Church

Paul