Christmas 2007

Dear Diasporic Kith and Kin:

It has been a wonderful year for our family. On February 1st our bonny Josephine was born into our family. She is very chubby and cheerful, verging on jolly at times. The older children have taken her under their wings. Josephine doesn’t always appreciate being there, but she is generous and patient.

Two months after Josie's happy arrival, the Hunters of Hong Kong traded rice bowls for super bowls, and bamboo for tumbleweed. In April we moved from Hong Kong to Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. The two places are worlds apart, but we are finding something wonderful. It doesn’t matter where you are, if you are with the ones you love and you roll up your sleeves and get stuck in to good activities - like ballet rehearsals, piano lessons, shoveling snow off the driveway and growing veggies – life is great wherever you are. Our little ones are growing like our zucchinis grew this (Northern) summer - big, bouncy and delicious. Actually that is not a very good metaphor. Our children are not that delicious.

In between our move from Hong Kong to Utah we went home to Australia to attend Richard and Claire Mary’s fantastic wedding and to catch up with some of our family and friends.

Since being in the USA, we have learned how to make snowballs, how to collect candy from strangers while dressed as a cat and how to say “purple” the way our American cousins say it. The education continues. Our friends, neighbours and work associates have welcomed us warmly.

Notwithstanding our wonderful experiences here, we miss our family and friends very, very much. You are so special to us. Thank you for your phone calls, emails, packages and prayers. We love you and pray for your happiness, health and blessings. We often hear people say “If only we could treat each other this nicely for the other 51 weeks of the year, after Christmas is over.” Well, we are happy to report that you, our dear friends and family, treat us like it’s Christmas all year round. This is very important to us and we thank you for all you do and are.

We are grateful for our knowledge of Christ, our Saviour. We love Him and we love His Father – our Father. We pray that each of you will feel the love of Jesus Christ this Season and always – and that you will know of our love for you and gratitude that we are friends and family together.

With love and warm wishes,
Laura, Rich, Charlie, Grace, Jane and Josephine Hunter