Merry Christmas!

I hope you have all had a wonderful, relaxing day, because of Jesus. We had just sat down at the bountiful dinner table and Will had asked Doug to ask the blessing when the phone rang. I said, "Sorry, but I have to answer it, just in case it's Craig." It was! So he listened in on Doug's prayer and then we talked! We ended up passing the phone all around the table and everyone talked to him. He is visiting Sarah and her family in Dresden, Germany, and she was on speakerphone. It was quite an international phone call, especially when Sarah from Germany spoke to Tessa, Doug's Korean exchange student. Apparently Sarah knew how to say "I love you" in Korean!

He said he enjoyed roast duck for Christmas dinner and seems to be having a wonderful time. By the time we were getting off the phone around 2:00, he said the family was going to bed. They are nine hours ahead over there. I reminded him to be helpful and clean up after himself, and he told me not to worry about it, her parents said he was "diligent"! He told me the German word but I fail to recall it.

He told us he met a Knox from Oregon who knew Doug. When Craig spotted him entering the Amsterdam YWAM wearing an Oregon sweatshirt, he had to introduce himself and they got to talking. When he told Craig he had a Mennonite background, Craig exclaimed that he was half Mennonite! (His father has said many times that Mennonite is a race!) It is Victor Knox's son, who married a Dutch girl and is in a band which practices at the YWAM base. Such a small world!

After dinner was cleaned up, it was time for some games. Mad Lib and Guesstures are always good for some laughs!
I believe Nick was illustrating "shotgun", which Duane correctly guessed.
It didn't take us too long to figure out that the word for Will was "intelligent". He is a somewhat reluctant game player but plays along to make us happy. He told Anthony, Venisa's friend, who was also reluctant, that the one thing Mennonites are most pushy about is making people play games.

We all failed to guess that Doug was trying to demonstrate "ice cream". That was a tough one!

Another Christmas day is over. I'm so thankful for Jesus and the joy he has brought to this earth.

Nebraska Trip

Last Thursday, I took an unexpected four-day trip to Nebraska with three other family members to attend my Aunt Jeannine's funeral. We had a really good trip and I want to write more about her and the weekend when I'm not so tired, but I thought I'd share these amazing pictures tonight since I'm still up waiting for Nick. His Event Technology class is setting up for a big Winter Assembly talent show happening at the high school tomorrow. His cell phone just accidentally called me and I could hear appropriate background noises as I shouted out his name, trying to make him realize he had called me! I can't believe they are keeping kids out so late on a school night. But tomorrow is the last day before Christmas break. Yahoo!

On our way from Cairo to the Omaha airport Sunday, we stopped in Milford where my dad's family lives and had lunch with about 30 of them at a buffet. We went to my Aunt Lela's house after lunch, and as we pulled into her driveway, I saw a basketball hoop put to a use that I have never seen before. Here's Lela's grandson Taylor checking it out.

It was my Uncle Gary's 10th deer this year. Aunt Lela says it's enough! They make wonderful jerky. But it has to wait its turn. My little brother Doug had to check out this fine frozen-solid specimen.

Wow.

Nick just texted me that I should go to bed because it will be awhile. I asked what was taking so long. His reply, "We are doing a bunch of tech things that u wouldn't understand." Thank you for sparing me! I asked him to text me when he leaves the school so I know when to send his father to go check the ditches if he doesn't reach home in a timely manner. So I shall go to bed now and try to sleep. Many late nights lately!

Midnight Phone Call

I hate those occasional phone calls that wake you from a sound sleep in the middle of the night. Do they ever bring good news? Will's office calls his cell phone to deliver their own brand of bad news, so when our house phone rings in the wee hours, it's a heart-pounding, dry-mouth experience for me.

Last night's news was particularly horrifying, but quite selfishly, I was relieved to know that all my loved ones were safe and unharmed.

Will picked up the phone, and I could hear a woman's voice but not what was being said. After a minute of watching Will apparently having difficulty comprehending the call, he said, "Let me give the phone to LeAnn. She hears better than I do!" It was Sarah, Craig's girlfriend who is a student at the School of Worship at the Denver YWAM. She was talking very fast and obviously a little stressed, saying when they came back from bowling that night shortly after midnight, they got turned away by a police barricade, because two people had been shot at their YWAM dorm. They went to a staff member's home, and all the students were to call someone to let them know they were safe. She couldn't make an international call to reach Craig or her parents in Germany so she called us. She was very concerned for them to know she was all right, and I told her we would contact Craig. I also gave her my international calling card numbers so she could call them herself.

Will tried to find some news of this event on the internet, but there was nothing. He emailed Craig and we eventually went back to sleep. This morning the news reported that two people had been shot and killed, and two others shot and injured at the dorm by a young man who had stopped by and asked if he could spend the night there.

We had an email from Craig that said, "I awoke to a violent start (certainly no pun intended there) by Toby, one of the guys I work with. He said "Sarah is wanting to call you, people are shooting each other at the Denver base." Or something along those lines, Toby has a bad sometimes inconveniently innaccurate grasp of time tenses in the English language sometimes." Craig called us this afternoon after his adrenaline rush had faded and he had talked to Sarah. He said she is a rock because she has the peace that's of God. They are determined to keep seeking God with their whole heart and trust that He is in control. But it is a very traumatic time for them. Please keep them and the many others affected by these tragedies in your prayers.

Later when I came home from church I learned that a gunman had opened fire in the lobby of a mega-church in Colorado Springs, killing at least one person and injuring others, and the news has continued to unfold throughout the day. Turns out that an armed church security guard shot and killed the gunman, preventing him from killing and injuring any more than he already had. What? A church with an armed security staff? There are many, many things that I don't understand.

Of course, I don't have to understand everything, because I have a God who does.

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom." (Isaiah 40:28)

Craig's Christmas Letter

2007 Christmas Letter!

Dearest Friends,

Greetings from Amsterdam! It’s that time once again to reach out to all of you wonderful people across the sea, to touch you and as well be touched by you. And perhaps in the true fashion of my father, to as well touch on a nerve of good comedic taste in light of the Christmas season.

As most of you know, I am in Europe working with Youth With a Mission Holland. I am on a team of missionaries who have a vision to go to Curacao (an island off the coast of Venezuela , part of the Dutch Antilles) and start a missionary base, to house ministries and run Discipleship and Bible schools. It’s like a church planting project on Jesusteroids. We are currently in the beginning phase of preparation. We feel that God’s favor is on us here in Amsterdam and are allowing Him complete control in our lives individually and as a team as well. We have been networking with local Antillean churches and preparing for some future events. I will also attach our team newsletter. Hopefully the Lord graces you with the strength and energy to contend with the digestion of yet another piece of Christian literature!

This has been a time of much growth and challenge, not only for our team but for myself as well. I am somehow adapting to more than just the Dutch culture in this time. I am as well becoming aware of the culture of Christ, which so encompasses Youth With A Mission.

I recently attended a conference of a ministry called Nations2Nations (a ministry bred in YWAMAmsterdam by base leader Armando Benner) in Barcelona, Spain. It was an encouraging time, and in the city I saw God moving in practical ways. The importance of listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit in all situations was reaffirmed in my heart. I saw God moving and want so badly to see more of it.

In this next month I will start working with the Ethnos ministry here at YWAM Amsterdam. In this ministry there is much room for artistic endeavors and the witness of God’s aesthetic heart. I will be involved in outreaches in the city to the college students and the clubs. My heart is to ignite fire in the hearts of the youth and provide vision of God’s Spirit to young people whose eyes have become blind. I will send updates as my part in this ministry grows. I ask that you pray for open doors and protection as I become involved.

Also this month, our team will start work with “The Cleft”. “The Cleft” is a YWAM ministry geared toward working with the prostitutes, “the ladies at the windows and on the streets”, and also the homeless and drug addicted people. We need a protective shield of prayer over us as we begin this work. The Satanist church is very active in the Red Light District, praying curses over Christ’s church and those who do His work. We stand against all darkness in the authority and by the blood of Jesus. We ask also for your prayers of protection and encouragement as we serve God in this way.

As a team we want nothing to do with anything born out of our fleshly ambitions. All the things we will be involved with require the blessing and anointing of the Holy God of Israel. I ask you on behalf of my team to pray that our eyes are peeled, that we can truly discern God’s will and the actions He calls us to take at the moment.

There are many possibilities regarding the future of Islands2Nations (which, by the way, is the official name of the Curacao team’s ministry), but for now we take the decisive action of our first step. It is a time to build a firm foundation and serve with a whole heart.

It is a battle to maintain a constant intimacy with God, but this is exactly what my heart desires. I beseech you as well to pray that my hunger grows more and more every day. A strong appetite for God will ensure a constant consumption of His Word.

And as usual there is much needed financial aid. Christmas time is here and so is my EU visitors pass expiration! I need exactly 433 euros (634.56$) by the 18th of this month. I was informed of this on very short notice (this morning!) and have no other choice but to trust that God will provide. Then again, what better choice is there?!

Thank you for your support and prayers, and God bless you in this Christmas season. I would certainly love to spend it with you. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14.

Grace and peace to you....
-Craig McAnulty

Drama

A little too much drama going on at work today for my tastes. It started off with a high school boy visiting this morning before school. While chit chatting, he asked if it was true that we were not going to have a talent show this year and if we had really cancelled Spirit Week. It was news to me. He asked if we had heard that some of our students had posted My Space bulletins last night encouraging students to participate in "Sit In" at lunch time to protest these alleged violations of their rights. That was the first we had heard of it. I asked our administrators these events had been cancelled, and they said no.

So our assistant principal made an announcement first thing when school started, letting kids know that there were false rumors going around. The talent show is usually held in the spring and no date has been set yet. Spirit Week is still scheduled for December 17-20. Students, please do not believe the rumors!

As I reflected on this, I could see why middle schoolers would be so devastated that they would feel the need to take action to stop the impending loss of the opportunity to have a "Wacky Hair Day", a "Hat Day", a "Pajama Day", a "70s Day", etc, which is how one shows your school spirit during "Spirit Week". I have participated in "Wacky Hair Day" myself. A high school friend once came to school and did my hair first thing in the morning. I have never had so many little clips in my hair. (Remember, Laci?!) Another time I teased it and sprayed it real good, giving myself a big hairstyle. The scary thing was that so many older women complimented me on how good my hair looked!

Still kids dribbled into the office all morning, asking such exciting questions as, "Is it true that the police are going to come and arrest everyone who participates in the "Sit In"? Are they going to take kids away in handcuffs? Are you sure Spirit Week hasn't been cancelled?" and so on.

We got through sixth, seventh and eighth grade lunches and all was calm. As eighth graders were heading to class after lunch, a report came to me over the radio. "Some eighth graders are sitting in East Hall chanting, "Give us back our 8th grade break!" (Eighth grade break was a 10 minute break at 9:30 in previous years because they don't go to lunch until 12:30. It disappeared this year when the schedule was completely revamped. Much to everyone's dismay, it just doesn't fit into the new schedule.)

Administrators quickly arrived at the scene of this brave show of defiance and sent everyone to class. No one had to be led off in handcuffs, in fact, the hallways were cleared very quickly.

That is a very small portion of the drama that went on today, but that's all I'm allowed to tell you about. People are so interesting.

Well, at least it got me thinking about Spirit Week. Only two weeks left to plan a wacky hairdo. It's nearly impossible to come up with anything as becoming as the big hairdo...