Family Christmas/New Years Letter

Here is a copy of our Christmas/New Years letter that went out, if you did not get to see it enjoy! 

Dear Family and Friends of my parents,

My existence has been short so far and I have only heard Mommy and Daddy talking for a few weeks so I know there is still a lot to learn.  I want to share with you what I know so far in this Christmas letter. 

At Daddy’s birthday dinner in New York City Mommy told him it was time to have children which caught him off guard because he had planned on waiting a few years and they had not even been married for one year yet.  He said give me time to pray about this and we will revisit it later.  It took him a week to tell Mommy that they could stop preventing and pray for God to send me to them in His timing.  Within two months God began His work on me, one of His latest projects!  They didn’t find out about my arrival until they were preparing for the new year of students they were going to teach this year.  I think the timing was perfect since I am going to be one of their students soon.

The Lord has been working diligently knitting me together in Mommy’s belly (Ps 139:13-18) and He is awesome.  I have learned that He is love (1 John 4:8).  I can tell that my parents know His love by the way that they love me already.  They have been talking about me to everyone.  Mommy even started writing a blog that has been mostly about me so far (http://ourjourneythroughgrace.blogspot.com/).  I think she is planning on having it printed each year in a book.  It will be her digital scrap book.  Daddy has been writing me letters almost every day that he will give me when I am older.  The main purpose of these letters is to remind me of the Lord’s love and how it is radiated through our family. 

Mommy and Daddy have been searching for a church home where they could serve the Lord in His kingdom together since before they were married.  Recently they heard the Lord speak to them separately through a sermon series and small group study called Greater at the church they had been attending.  He called them to join LINC Baltimore in planting Missional Communities.  This is something outside of their comfort zone but they are certain that God has been preparing the way for them.  I am excited to see how I can be a part of this ministry one day.  Mommy shares more of the details in her blog.

I am told that my new home wrote the annual letter last year.  It is doing just fine but is going through some changes.  Extreme Home Makeover – Baby Kassouf Edition has begun.  My nursery is going to be their old office and I can’t wait to see the Winnie the Pooh space they are planning.  This process has been moving slower than they would have liked because of the graduate studies.  Last February Daddy began his master’s degree in education through Gratz College.  He will have nine classes finished before I am born in April and will finish his program next summer.  Mommy just stared a graduate certificate in autism studies through John’s Hopkins University.  I am looking forward to a lot of Daddy time once I am born as Mommy finishes her program.

I am sure Mommy and Daddy have other things to share but as far as I am concerned I am the only thing that really matters.  I have already begun changing their world and am anticipating the great changes I will make once I am born. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Andrew and Erin Kassouf’s child

Ps. I look forward to meeting all of you soon.

Race Into the New Year

Andrew and I participated in a 5K while we were in Myrtle Beach! It is a fundraiser for Risen Christ Lutheran School where Mom Kassouf works.  Last year, we did the race for the first time and this summer Andrew made me learn how to jog and he began jogging and running.  We had been working out multiple times a week over the summer because Andrew wanted to beat his little brother this year at the Race Into the New Year 5K.  This fall we did not exercise the way we wanted but on Saturday we did the race.  Andrew did a great job! He took 10 minutes off his time from last year and he ran an 11:50 mile average! I am so proud of him!!  His baby brother was out of town so I'm not sure who would of won but Andrew did a great job and he has already set a new goal for next year.  I did not jog because I am 23 weeks pregnant but I walked with Mom and Dad and we had fun!

Christmas Fun!

Christmas began early this year!  This is a picture of us in front of our tree before leaving for our trip.

Our Christmas extravaganza began on Saturday December 21st at my Dad's house.  We enjoyed a great ham dinner and had fun visiting.  We also ended our trip on December 30th there so we could visit with my Mommom and Poppy.

We then continued on to Calvert County to see my mom and extended family.  Grandma and Grandpa came to Mom's house for dinner Sunday night.  Mom made lasagna, one of my favorites!  Then, Monday morning we baked cookies with my cousins and had lunch with Aunt Debbie's family.  This is the first Christmas I can remember where I would not spend Christmas Eve at Grandma's house with all of the extended family.  It was really nice to get to see all my family separately because we got to spend quality time with each of them!  It was a nice bonus.  We then celebrated Christmas with my Mom and brothers Monday night!  

Tuesday morning we got up early to hit to road for Myrtle Beach!  Andrew's parents thought that we were coming on December 26th but for the last 2 years Andrew and Tim have been planning a surprise Christmas Eve trip for Mom this year.  So we set out for Myrtle Beach.  The timing ending up being perfect.  We arrived at church 10 minutes before service was scheduled to start.  We walked into church and found Mom.  Andrew tapped her on the shoulder and casually asked if the seats around her were taken.  She was absolutely shocked, confused, and beyond excited to see us there 2 days early.  This was extra special for her because she was not alone for church on Christmas.    

On Christmas Eve after church we ended up swapping gifts as couples. My big gift was a new cushion for my papasan chair! It is so fuzzy and warm.  I also got the complete collection of Matilda; the book, DVD, and Broadway CD.  Andrew and I went to see the Broadway show in October and I was so excited because it was a movie that I had watched with my Mommom a million times growing up!  I can't wait to share it with our child.

Andrew's big gift was tickets to a Kennedy Center Show in March to see Brian D'arcy James.  He played Shrek in "Shrek the Musical" when it was on Broadway.  My mom got him the DVD copy of the show for Christmas! It was a perfect pair.  

Baby Kassouf also did very well this Christmas.  He/She got a "Nana and Me" picture frame, monkey onesies, and a Winnie the Pooh blanket from Nana.  Grandma and Grandpa gave him/her a new diaper bag, socks, book, and picture book, which were all Vera Bradley! Aunt Erin and Uncle Tim supplied bibs for all of their first holiday outfits.  He/She got a sleeping sheep white noise maker from Poppy and Noni, and a stuff animal from Great Mommom and Poppy!

On Christmas Day Mark and Ashley joined us for Christmas! Mom and Dad Kassouf got to see all 3 of their boys on Christmas Day! That has not happened in a very long time and they were super excited!

We had a great Christmas Break and are not ready for the hustle and bustle of regular life but I guess it's time.

Photo Card

Photo Card

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Our Search for a Church Home

Andrew and I have been searching for a church home since we got married. As Andrew and I began dating he resigned as the youth director of the church he was serving so he joined my family at my home church.  He would drive down from Bel Air Sunday mornings and then he would spend the entire day with my family and me.  So when we got married and I moved to Bel Air we did not have a home church in our community and we realized that it was not possible to continue to commute to Calvert County every Sunday for church.  It would also be really hard to serve at a church that is an hour and a half away and Andrew and I have talked about serving in a church together since the very beginning of our relationship. 

Needless to say over the last year our search for a church home has been very difficult, partly because we grew up in two different faith traditions and finding the happy medium was difficult.  We had also visited many different places but weren't feeling that any were a great fit for us and our gifts.  We have been part of an amazing small group though through a local church that is a great positive support and community for us during this time of transition.  After finding out that we were expecting we both felt very pressured to find a church home were we could begin to raise our family.  In October our small group and the affiliated church began a series called "Greater" by Steven Furtick at Elevation Church.  As we began this study Andrew and I prayed that the Lord would really make it clear to us where he wanted us to go for a home church; at the time we felt like there were 3 options.  1- Fully get involved at the church affiliated with our small group and make that our home.  2- Begin working with LINC Baltimore on a unique church planting model called Missional Communities.  3- Find another established church. 

The first week of the Greater study on our way to church Andrew and I were talking and he said he felt like the Lord was telling him that He has given us a child so quickly (much quicker than Andrew was expecting) because it was going to put us in the position to meet many new people and it would be a great mission field.  As he said this I knew he was then leaning towards working with LINC to begin a Missional Community.  I on the other hand was not really feeling that way and my initial reaction was we are going to be interacting with a lot of new people until the baby is a toddler so that would be 2 or 3 years down the road.

That day in church the pastor began preaching on the Greater study and it starts with the story of Elijah and Elisha and how Elijah was a prophet of the Lord and he went to go get Elisha to begin training him up in the way of the Lord.  When Elijah got to Elisha at first Elisha was not sure about leaving and then the Lord had quickly changed his mind and directed his path so Elisha decided to slaughter his cattle and burn his plows because he was not going to need those things any more.  He was no longer going to be a farmer he was going to leave with Elijah answering the Lord's call to go share God's word.  The pastor challenged us to burn our plows and take a step of faith to do what God was calling us too.  He then proceeded to give a list of examples of ways that we could burn our plows; and he gave many standard ideas like building a faith focus in your home, or leaving/starting a job that the Lord wants ... but then part way through his list he says "Maybe the Lord is calling you to begin a new ministry and serve your community."  Andrew was then very convicted that we were being called to begin this new ministry with LINC.

That afternoon as we discussed things I was not sure that I was on the same page and I told Andrew that I had 3 reservations about Missional Communities.  1- I am an introvert, although I can lead and take charge with the best of them I get drained from people and it takes me a very long time to develop relationships with people.  Once I know you I can be very outgoing but at first I am very reserved.  The Missional Communities is all about building meaningful relationships with people and I did not feel that it was one of my strengths.  2- This is a Lutheran church plant and I did not grow up in a Lutheran church.  Although all of the main doctrine is the same there are two big theological differences and so I might not necessarily answer any questions people would ask the way that a Lutheran would.  3- I was not sure about leaving the traditional church setting because that setting was so influential on me growing up. 

Over the next week we continued to pray that the Lord would lead us where he wanted.  Through that week Andrew felt more and more called to go plant a Missional Community through LINC and I was holding tight to my 3 reservations.  That Friday as I walked into a professional development training with a co-worker she got stopped by someone to chat.  I kept going and when she caught up to me she said, "You are going to meet so many people and know people everywhere you go once you have kids.  That lady's daughter is in dance with my daughter."  As the words came out of her mouth I cringed and though to myself, "No Lord, I am not going to meet people until the baby is much older and I don't think I can do this."  Her words kept replaying in my mind through out that entire weekend.

Then, Sunday at church for week 2 of the Greater study the pastor continued to talk about Elisha who was now a prophet himself and there were 3 kings were headed into battle but their armies had gotten lost in the wilderness and were thirsty and near death.  They called on Elisha to get help from the Lord.  In the end the Lord tells Elisha that the armies will have to dig ditches in the bottom of this valley in order to catch the rain water to help them survive.  The pastor then challenged us to dig our own ditches.  He challenged us to obey where the Lord was leading us to and burn our plow and dig our ditch in order to serve him.  Through this entire message I really felt the Lord leading me to let go of my reservations, trust in Him, and follow in his path.  He made it very clear that the statement my co-worker made was because it was the truth and there would be many new people coming into our lives. Although introverted, I am a leader and have lead many of things in the past.  He also challenged me by reminding me that I do know how to build relationships with people in order to share the gospel (that was my mission when I went to Kazakhstan).  Also, Andrew and I have different gifts for a reason and he is very much an extrovert so he can bring people to us.  Which meant I needed to dig the ditches and trust that the Lord would supply people.  Finally, this Missional Community model would not be a house church model forever so traditional church could be something that it turns into down the road.  Which meant I needed to burn the plow of traditional church and trust that the Lord will take care of us.  I was very convicted during this message and really felt led to go and serve on the Missional Community team with LINC. 

During this same time frame Andrew was praying for the Lord to align our calls. He said he really felt like the Lord was directing him toward Missional Communities but he did not know it if was his own will or the Lord's will.  So he prayed that the Lord would burden his and my heart with the same call.  That way we would clearly know it was where He wanted us to go.  Five minutes after he prayed this prayer I had fully processed the Lord's call and turned to him during praise and worship time and said, "I think the Lord wants us to serves as missionary's in our community and work with LINC to develop a Missional Community."

After church Andrew and I shared our inner thoughts that were happening during service and realized how amazing our God is.  He was working on both of us in our own ways and we rejoiced in how prompt the Lord was in answering Andrew's prayer!  We had been looking for direction for a long time and we are very excited to now know what path the Lord wants us on and see how the Lord's plan will unfold moving forward.  Please pray for us as we begin leader's training tonight. 

Half way and Baby K is giving high fives!

Erin is in grad class and I have hijacked her blog to share some things with you.  I could not be more blessed.  I have a beautiful wife who is glowing more and more each day as we are getting closer to Baby K's arrival.  Our family is experiencing God's love in real time as have become parents.  I am privileged to have a sideline view of God's work as He forms Baby K and I am loving it. 

For the longest time Erin has wanted to be a mom and now that she is she couldn't be happier.  This has been a crazy cool experience for me also.  Even though I am not carrying our child, I am becoming very attached to him/her emotionally.  We have had two sonograms now and the differences in such a short time are incredible.  Our child's growth from week 9 to week 20 is amazing.  Now we could see bones and each chamber of the heart among other things.  I saw our child moving on the monitor during both sonograms and was anticipating the opportunity to feel him/her kick.

Recently Erin began to feel movements and would describe them to me.  She was excited for me to feel kicks once they were significant enough.  About a week ago our child gave me a high five!  I was super excited in that moment.  Erin told me that it was probably a foot or something but I like to think it was a hand.  

Erin is now half way along in the pregnancy.  I can't imagine what God has in store for us in the second half.  I am becoming more excited than a kid on Christmas morning for the moment when I get to hold our child for the first time.  

Posted by Andrew Kassouf

Snow Day!

Snow Day with Christmas decorations!   These two snow days could not of come at a better time!  I have been swamped with my graduate work so our house has been behind in the decorating for Christmas. We got to spend some time decorating and getting into the festive spirit.  

Welcome to the Kassouf House at Christmas time!