Christmas Card 2012

Merry Christmas!

We have gone through quite a bit this last year.  At the start of the year, Melissa started a new job with an oilfield inspection company.  Pat worked long hours outdoors welding at a natural gas storage site in Kenai.  Our house was beginning its 3^rd year for sale.  We had no idea what was in store for us.

In the spring, we connected with a man named Don who was looking for help to begin a manufacturing company in Ghana, Africa building a 3-wheeled vehicle with a full ton payload capacity.  After praying about this heavily for a short period of time, Pat met with him in Pella, Iowa and we decided that we would join this venture.  Just a few short days later, our house sold!  In short, we gathered our belongings, much scaled down, and moved in with Melissa’s mom in Wichita.  We haven’t been there much, however, as we spent time with our new Vytrak Team in Missouri for a fun meet-and-greet, and then several weeks in Pella to build a 3-wheeled Intermediate Transportation Vehicle.  So, we have been a little busy this year with plans we never dreamed a year ago!

We have very fluid plans from here on out.  We hope to go to Ghana in January to build another I.T.V.  When this is complete, we will return to the States until further business building is completed; a few months give or take.  We will move to Ghana once this is wrapped up and begin our adventures in Accra (uh-‘craw)!  We anticipate learning so much as God takes us out of our comfort zones and into His purposes for us.

Keep up with us via our blog; www.teakells.blogspot.com.  If you want to keep up with our company, Vytrak, check out their site www.vytrak.com.  

There's no place like...

 I have been thoroughly enjoying being in a snow-less land this winter!  There is such a beauty in the earth that I am so happy to witness that had been previously covered in feet of snow by this time of year in Alaska.  Being able to walk to a lovely park just across the river behind the house is a real treat (though don't think my walks are without my Alaska Bear Spray in hand - one just never knows what lurks behind those menacing cottonwood trunks!)

 I was able to take in some Christmas joys like Christmas Windows and lights recently with my "Beaches" friend.  To clarify if you haven't ever seen the epic friendship film, we connected many years ago and now see each other rarely (much less than we'd like), but I would do just about anything for her and we pick up like we haven't been apart at all!  Unlike "Beaches," we are not competitive, and neither of us has any life-threatening disease.  I'm waiting for her to begin her singing career though.

M has this neighbor who I think is just hilarious.  He is slowly decorating his car.  Notice the "YOLO" shout out.  The tree on the top of his car is not en-route to any further location.  It is for the car.  He has a Christmas Tree for his car.  I find this fascinating.

 I have finally decided to begin preparing Christmas cards.  I am about 2 weeks late.  I know. You may not even get one because in reality, just because I have purchased the cards does not mean I will get these out.  I don't believe the meaning of Christmas is to update all my friends and family of my goings-on.  I do want to share what we are doing, though, so I will try.  Plus, I like to get your cards!

 Speaking of the meaning of Christmas, I want to share one of my favorite things with you.  If you have been around me much during Christmas, you know I love the music of the Charlie Brown Christmas. (Charlie Brown music is pretty fabulous anyway.)  I love the jazzy low-key flow of the tunes in a total juxtaposition of the chaos that the commercial Christmas brings.  In fact, the true meaning of Christmas, that being the momentous miracle of the coming of the Savior of the world in human form, is the pivotal message in the classic tale of "A Charlie Brown Christmas."  The boldness, and consequent staying power of this Peanuts cartoon special are such a sweet surprise to me every year.