Christmas 2008

I started to hand write this Christmas note but then the power went out in the Ice Storm and we started camping in the house which was fun for the first 24 hours.Of course we have all the resources needed to survive for many days without power....but I drew the line when Tom suggested we purify the fish pond for our drinking water.....Oh how fun it was to hear the hummmm of the very clean refrigerator when the power came on 3 days later. Christmas preparation is quite different this year and the cards and notes such an encouragement! Tom & I appreciate hearing from our friends & family at this time of year.

Enjoy the news from our family to yours on this cold and blustery winter afternoon in Windham,NH....

Most of our girls are grown and on their own. Tammy & Matt are well in Toronto where Tammy is finishing up her teaching certificate. Marcy & Brook live on the Somerville/Cambridge line and tonight Heather will fly home from Santa Barbara. We had quite the fright when her school was on fire during the wildfires you probably read about just before Thanksgiving. Tommy is finally taller than his sisters and looks forward to the zaniness when they all come to visit. 2009 will be brighter as we gather for New Years in Toronto with Tammy & Matt.

Tom is now a director @ Eliza Corp in Beverly and I still work at Holy Family Hospital but changed departments to the Quality Dept. I finally have weekends and holidays off! The flexibility has been a real blessing with Tommy's schedule.

This summer was very special when Tom & I went on a mission trip to Quito, Ecuador to help out at For His Children Orphanage. We were able to go see our sponsored child, Evelin who calls us her Padrino & Padrina (Godparents)down in Latacunga where FHC has its second orphanage. I can not tell you how special that was! We are hoping she and her little brother, Omar will be adopted this coming year. Please join us in praying they will be adopted by the same family!
Thank you to so many of you who contributed so that we could provide for the handicapped children at the orphanage. We were able to build a wonderful swing set out of eucalyptus for the handicapped swing we brought with us.
We also visited the Compassion Projects that many in our church have sponsored children in. What an amazing program held at the church in a very poor neighborhood! We brought gifts down to all the children and lots of soccer balls for the kids not sponsored. We were allowed to visit the children's homes and everyone was so hospitable. Did you know that the letters you write to your sponsored child are treasures to them? They save all of them! We were able to meet Marcy's sponsored child and his whole family.


We came back with a heart for all of the children we met. They are all so well cared for at For His Children by their Tia's but our tears still flowed like prayers as we struggled with the pain of these precious babies abandonment. For His Children Orphanage is now a part of us! If any of you would like to know how you can sponsor a child there for $30 a month let us know and we can get you in touch with Melinda & Clark Vaughn who run the orphanage. They can really use the help during these difficult economic times.

Well I am being called to help with the decorating ...wrapping...cleaning.....baking a tray of cookies....at least one....but at least the shopping is done! Enjoy this special time of the year and please keep us posted how you are thru email or snail mail or maybe cellphone while your stuck in traffic, or how about facebook....I promise....I will let you be my friend!

Colleen for the Ostberg Family still Celebrating the Incredible Gift of a Baby in a Manger to the Whole World!