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No, the Rapture didn’t come and you missed it. No, we weren’t snatched by space aliens and taken on a tour of the galaxy. No, Dennis hasn’t been placed in suspended animation until they find a cure for baldness. No, you haven’t been the only one we’ve ignored. Yes, we have been lousy at keeping in touch! Here is our attempt at repenting and starting anew…

Greetings to all our friends and family!

This has been an exciting year (or two J) at the White House! Dennis sold all his Navy uniforms and we left San Diego in March ‘95, arriving in Fredericksburg VA one month later. We visited many friends and family, and had a wonderful time crossing the continent. After determining we were not yet ready for full time ministry, Dennis wrote a resume and began peddling himself around the area. He worked for Analysis and Technology, Inc. as a Systems Engineer until May ‘96, doing computer simulation and modeling on a Navy project. In May ’96, he was hired by a Navy Research Lab and works in the “Control Systems Advanced Concepts & Technology Laboratory”, emphasizing engineering the human in future control systems. How long will he work? We are waiting on the Lord for guidance. Two things we have considered, however: 1) Staying here and working until the girls graduate from high school (which, according to Jenny’s note, is somewhere near 2015 or so!), 2) staying and working until we are completely debt free, which will probably take about 3 years. We’ll see. We are also prepared to stay much longer, if we feel that is the Lord’s leading. Den is busy at church on the Admin. board, teaching a little, attempting to help where needed, and as the webservant for the church’s web site.

DJ has been busy as usual, teaching the girls and making wherever we live a home. We first rented a <quite> small (Jenny says “teenie weenie itty bitty) house until April of ’96. We then bought our first house - an English Tudor style (kinda fits DJ, huh?). For school this year, the girls are giving a Colonial (1720-1785) tea and semester research project presentation on Sunday, December 15th. If you are in the area, and did not receive an invitation, please call and we will give you directions and details. This year is bigger than the Civil War era tea they had last time - we are renting the Library conference room, and expect about 40 people! DJ has a dream to hold smaller, and more frequent teas at the house, as a chance to fellowship and share the Lord (that’s how the girls talked Dennis into buying all those English bone china teacups, anyway! J). DJ also sings on the Worship Team at Calvary Chapel of Fredericksburg (our church), and thoroughly enjoyed the first Calvary Chapel East Coast Worship Conference in June.

Jenny-Rose is now 17 years old, a wonderful young woman who loves the Lord and is a joy to Mom and Dad. She has certainly stretched her wings a bit, but hasn’t pushed anyone around the nest ! She has definitely chosen Fashion History as her passion (next to Bible Study - careful playing Bible trivia with her!), and we are now looking at her options after high school. Mom & Dad would love to keep her around forever, but life goes on for all of us! Jenny is also now an accomplished author. She tied for second place in a short story competition hosted by New Attitude, a national magazine for home-schooled high schoolers. Jenny is also part of Calvary’s Worship Team, singing on Sunday evenings.

Bridget is now 15 ½, and blossoming into a beautiful young lady. Most of her “blossoming” has been vertical - she is now 5ft 9in! She has really shown her “bend” toward analytical skills, and now helps DJ with math! She is also on-call during the day for the Pastor and church secretary for computer assistance. Dennis doesn’t have her programming yet, but that is in the plans for the near future. Her goals are to learn to fly, ride a motorcycle, ride horses, and play the piano.

Both girls are taking French this year, and thoroughly enjoying it! They now know enough to talk in front of Mom and Dad without them being able to understand! The French class will be part of a Christmas presentation for the home school support group, singing carols in French.

This has certainly been an interesting two years (the last time we sent out a letter to everyone). God has definitely stretched us as a family and as individuals. The biggest thing I think we’ve learned is that your ministry is wherever you are, doing whatever you are doing. We still feel that at some point we will go “full time” (that means serve the Lord and be unemployed !), but we are content to wait on the Lord to do so. Moses spent 40 years in Egypt preparing to lead the Israelites out of bondage, but when he thought it was time, God still wanted him to spend 40 years tending sheep! At that rate, we have at least a year to two to go!

We pray that God has drawn you closer to Him this year, and that the next year He will do the same. The season of Christmas is a wonderful time to reflect on our relationship with God, as we celebrate the time that God reached out and came to this Earth to live among us as Jesus of Nazareth. That is the beauty of our Creator - we don’t’ have to go to Him with a bunch of works to “prove” our worthiness - He comes to us, reaching out in Love and fellowship. Our part is merely to receive His love and offer of redemption through His sacrifice for us!

Love,
Dennis, DJ, Jenny-Rose, Bridget