Christmas 2008
At the close of another year, we give heartfelt thanks to God for our many blessings of precious friends and family. It is fitting that the transition from one year to the next is marked by the Christian tradition of celebrating the birth of Christ Jesus. He came, He said, not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for every one of us. Each new year is a marvelous opportunity to discover His ongoing service to us and through us, as He summons us to also offer our lives in service to others.
News from Georganne
2008
has been year of milestones. Beth, our oldest daughter, got
married; we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary; I had my
60th birthday, and after 23 years, the 2008-2009 school year is my last
official year of homeschooling. Mark will graduate in the spring
with a "certificate of completion". While I may tutor him toward
a GED someday, my days of full-time homeschooling are coming to an
end. The big question, "Now what?" has been raising its head.A partial answer is for me to write more curriculum for our local community college’s program for adults with developmental disabilities. I’m almost finished writing my second ten-lesson course. This one is "Counting Money and Making Change"; I have some ideas for another course called. "Twentieth Century Presidents and the Times in Which They Lived." Ron has been wonderful helping me with computer graphics, etc.
Mark was hospitalized four different times for bowel obstructions in 2008. The hospitalizations occurred in March, June, July, and August. We are very grateful that some changes in his diet seem to be helping his system work better, and that he has not been hospitalized since the end of August.
Ron, Mark, and I enjoyed a trip to Michigan to see family in August; and our first weekend trip to New York City in October. I also had a wonderful weekend in La Crosse, Wisconsin, with six friends from high school and a great weekend near Ocean City for our deaf church’s ladies' retreat. I continue to learn and share with others in our Spina Bifida Association support group; and attend a book club that has lots of lively discussions.
Ron's stuff
I am still busy in Deaf ministry with Christ Lutheran Church of the Deaf, Gallaudet University, the Maryland Department of Corrections, Maryland School for the Deaf, and the Deaf Institute of Theology (Concordia Seminary, St. Louis). Highlights of the year were Beth's and Steve's wedding, and the ordination of our first DIT seminary graduate.
Mark's News
Despite the hospitalizations I had in the early part of the year, it turned out to be an eventful year. In February, the Fairfax Falcons wheelchair basketball team played in the annual Bennett Blazers tournament. We played three games during the weekend, two on Saturday and one on Sunday. We won one game. (Click here to watch a video clip of that game.)
In
October, Beth was married to Steve Rempe. Steve and Beth met at church.
When I met Steve about 2 years ago, I told him that I was going to
Capernaum, which is the disability group of Young Life in Maryland. I
told him I was going to Camp Rockbridge in Goshen, Virginia, and he
told me that he was involved in Young Life himself and he had been to
Camp Rockbridge. When I met Steve's brothers and friends, I found out
that they, too, were involved in Young Life. When the wedding came,
Grandpa, Karen, Christine, Dan, Mom, Dad, and I were the
representatives of the Friedrich family. But the Rempe family was well
represented. The wedding was in Virginia. There were probably
close to 160 people at the wedding. It was a good wedding. The other exciting event of the year was in October. Dad went on a trip to New York City for a conference of the Eastern-Region of the ILDA (International Lutheran Deaf Association), and Mom and I went along for the ride. The conference was held in Queens, New York. We left Maryland about 1:30. The traffic seemed to be smooth sailing once we got to Pennsylvania. But when we got to New Jersey, everything seemed to be in a stand-still. We got to New York City about 8:00 that night. There were people from Maryland, but mainly from New York and New Jersey.
Saturday was an adventure in itself. After Dad got back from the meeting in the morning, we went to lunch, and we set off to see the sights of New York City. We spent at least 3 hours riding the subway, because we couldn't find a station that had a working elevator. We started about 12:00, by this time it was 3:00, and Dad had a meeting at 5:00. We finally ended up at Central Park, where I took some pictures for my photography class.
On May 28 of 2009, I will be graduating from the home schooling program in Maryland.
I have been taking a couple classes at Montgomery College: a Folk Art class, and a computer class. In the fall I will attend the Montgomery College Graduate Transition Program (GTP).
News of Beth, Karen,
and Christine
Beth
was married to Steve Rempe on October 11. It was a beautiful
wedding, and we feel very blessed to have Steve in our family. (Click here for wedding pictures.)
Beth and Steve bought a house in Springfield, VA and live 26 miles from
us. Beth continues to work as a registered nurse at Children's National
Medical Center in Washington, DC. Steve is a web editor for
Prison Fellowship.
Karen
is in her fourth year teaching middle school math and art to grades 1-8
at Our Savior Lutheran School in Springfield, Illinois. Last
summer she spent a month teaching English through an LCMS mission in
Macau. She really enjoyed it and is wondering if teaching at an
international school might be in her future.
Christine
is in her first year of teaching English at a Lutheran high school in
Racine, Wisconsin. It just happens to be the same high school
that her husband, Dan, attended and that Dan’s sister attends
now. Dan is continuing his PhD program at Medical College of
Wisconsin. His supervising professor is moving to Seattle,
Washington, in January, and Dan and Christine plan to follow him and
move there next summer.--------------------------------------------------------
We send this letter to those whom we love with the prayer that God will guide and protect you each day of the coming year.
Ron
Georganne
Mark
Georganne
Mark