Merry Christmas,

It is hard to believe that December is here already. The Christmas season is a time of waiting in eager expectation, followed by joy and celebration when our hope in Christ is realized. For us, this period of waiting has defined our past year.

Our newsletters often focus on our ministry, but here we would like to share a little of our personal lives. In 2020, someone very dear to us became pregnant with a beautiful baby girl and made the decision that she was unable to care for her. We supported her throughout the pregnancy and she and her family asked us if we would adopt her daughter once born. After a lot of prayer, we felt that this was what God was calling us to. In March of 2021, Malena was born and we became her godparents, but before we could finish the adoption process, Malena was taken by child services to a children’s home in April. Since then, we have been working through bureaucracy and frankly, corruption, while fighting for guardianship. For the past several months we have been able to visit Malena at the children’s home and were even invited to live and sleep there on the weekends. After many delays, we recently had our court hearing and were granted full guardianship! Malena is finally home with us. What a wonderful Christmas gift to have our waiting end and our hope be realized!

It’s a much longer story and it’s not all ours to share. While these past months have easily been the most difficult of our lives, we have not ceased to see God’s hand of protection caring for Malena and us. We have felt the Spirit’s presence in both our most desperate and most joyful moments. This Christmas season, we feel the waiting of advent in our bones and understand in a new way the rejoicing over a long-hoped-for child. Thank you for sharing with us in our joy!

Yours in Christ,

Tim & Kallie Hutton

Psalm 37:3-6

Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your hear
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.