The highlight of our year was the family trip to Australia in July to celebrate my dad s retirement (Sue). It was a wonderful event shared by hundreds of people who had traveled from many of the parishes he d served during 36 years of ministry. What a joy it was to catch up with very special people from my childhood, (especially my long-suffering Sunday School teachers!) and to hear over and over-again sweet affirmations of just how meaningfully dad s work and witness had touched and changed lives. I will never forget the way the Samoan Choir, with their haunting harmonies, tugged at my heart and made me long to visit the country of my birth. I don t think I ll ever sing "Great is thy Faithfulness" again without dissolving into tears....(even though it was sung at less than half the correct tempo!) My mother's contribution was also acknowledged and I can vouch for the fact that nobody knows the trouble a minister's wife sees, or fully appreciates the contribution she makes to parish life in quiet, gracious, unassuming ways. It was an unforgettable day filled with tears of nostalgia, laughter and thanksgiving!
As always, we were careful to give as much time as possible to our families who see us so seldom and this really restricted the time we had to catch up with our many friends. I hope those of you who were party to our fleeting movements appreciate how lucky you were! It was not our intention to hurt those who missed out and this is why we try to send such comprehensive Christmas letters and also why we value your yearly communications. Be assured that we lap-up your news so please don t delete us from your list!!
David (10) is an avid collector of all and sundry. In fact his collections have rapidly outgrown his bedroom. He has quite eclectic tastes ranging from stuffed animals (mainly of the dog variety), rocks and minerals, coins, die-cast metal classic cars, basketball cards and dozens of model aeroplanes. The joy of his life is flying and he has been able to do this frequently with his best friend who s family owns a plane. He claims to have touch-landed by himself (we hope that on this occasion he used his imagination rather than actual practice!) and regularly flies over our house.
Alissa (12) continues to zestfully pursue social activities and fits in the odd project for school now and then. She is also darn good at a variety of sports but will have to start refining her choices soon. She has put swimming on hold and according to the prevailing season participates in soccer (dad s her coach now and the team is doing much better), tennis, softball and basketball. This weekend she played the piano in a Festival of Carols at the Mall.
Tim (15) and David wrestle each other day in and day out, (I think it is really an excuse to cuddle). If degrees were handed out based upon proficiency with computer games (particularly flight simulators) both the boys would already have been awarded PhD s. Tim is emerging from an adolescent funk and is showing us glimpses of the fine young man we prayed for. He enjoys tennis (when he wins), indoor soccer and roller-blading, (there is another language associated with this activity which is beyond the comprehension of mere parents). He also has his Learner s permit and it is easier to let him drive than to put up with his criticisms of my driving. Funny how I was quite an acceptable and proficient driver until Tim earned his permit. (Sue finishing for now).
Indoor soccer is our regular Friday night activity - unfortunately it means a trip to Indianapolis (an hour away), for a kick off between 9-10:30 PM! Paul is the coach and the team has won all 8 games so far this season. My, the quality of coaching is excellent in this town! Actually, indoor soccer is such a fast paced game that the coach almost gets in the way. Since all the boys are 15-16 years old they are quite capable of organising and substituting themselves. We have a team rule that basically says when you are tired you have to come off -( tired in indoor is usually 2-4 minutes max!) The boys in the box diligently observe the players who are tiring and call them off for a rest. Fortunately, the other coaches think they know more than their boys and leave their best players on the court for 10-15 minutes at a time, so they become exhausted while our boys remain fresh! Tim has scored 2-3 goals per game so far and has proved yet again to be one of the most valuable players. And that folks, is my unbiased opinion!(Paul).
I am exhausted as I write this section because yesterday I spent several hours raking, scraping and carrying soggy, wet leaves (the last of the Autumn fall.) This is really hard work when one is physically out of shape! Today I am paying for it dearly! Fall in the US is sure different to home! (Sue speaking now: Paul did get some help yesterday from the rest of us! Not to mention the three or four other times earlier in the Fall that the kids and I did this job while he gallivanted about in some foreign country or another.)
Times are tough in the US, however, my research program has done quite well this year and I have recently been able to employ extra people. We were excited this year to produce the first Science CD-ROM in the field of Cytometry and were the first to use the World Wide Web as it s interface! 1500 copies were distributed in April at a major meeting in Italy and copies of our second CD (3500 hot off the press), were distributed this month free of charge to scientists around the world! The lab is also heavily involved in a new series from Wiley-Liss Publishers which will be published in April 1997. Paul, as editor-in-chief, has an editorial office established in his lab and this has required many additional hours of editing and writing, (I will be glad come mid-1997 to dig out from under this two year project.)
This year s travels included the usual trouble with immigration officials in Spain! One would think by now that after several trips it would be possible to figure out what the Spanish want from Aussies. Once again the appropriate officials became more frustrated than I and let me enter and exit twice in transit to Portugal through Madrid! Will someone please arrange for the Australian government to change visa requirements for Australians in Spain? While I was dealing with officials two other hapless Australians, with the same problem, were unceremoniously bundled onto an out-going flight having been refused entry! Obviously they didn t realize you are supposed to argue with immigration till they give up! Actually, next May when I have to go back through Spain, I think I will get a visa (for once)! With trips to Japan, two to Australia and several to Europe as well as many within the US, I seemed to be more of a travel agent than a scientist!
I anticipate visiting Australia some time in late July because we have plans to develop the land our house is on in Eastwood. Someone has to unpack all those things we packed 13 years ago before the house is demolished! All our belongings no doubt reflect Australian life as of June 1984, (having been enclosed in a kind of 13 year old time capsule!)
As I draw this yearly epistle to a close, (Sue) fresh snow is accumulating outside turning all that I can see into a pure white Winter Wonderland. Perhaps I might appreciate the beautiful landscape a great deal more if I did not have to get out and drive in it this afternoon!
As you gaze in wonder and awe at the starry hosts this Christmas Season, and in particular at the beautiful Southern Cross that I so dearly miss, you might wonder why God, (who spoke a word and created the Universe) did not choose to arrange a few billion of His stars into large clusters of letters, (in several languages to be politically correct!) declaring Jesus Saves!.. And you better believe it!
God chose instead to lay his glory by, and to lie in a baby s body, in a feeding trough, beneath the stars He had created! As I ponder the incredulity of this truth each year, I m gripped in new and fresh ways. May these words from the carol Hark the Herald Angels Sing, (listed in my hymnal as an Easter Hymn!), be especially meaningful to you and yours this year as we all prepare ourselves to celebrate Jesus our Emmanuel- God with Us.
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and Life to all he brings, Risen with healing in his wings, Mild he lay his glory by , Born that man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth. The Robinsons
