For those of you who complain about me not posting picture of myself or Brandi, this one’s for you. Below is the Christmas letter I wrote to friends and family. We sent it out to as many people as we could afford to, so if you didn’t get a hard copy, just check this pic and the message below and you’re as good as in!
Itâs really amazing and hard to believe that Brandi and I have already been married for 15 months and are celebrating our 2nd Christmas together as a married couple! Itâs also hard to believe that we slacked off so much last year that this will be the first Holiday letter we will have sent out as a couple. Itâs hard to know where to start, and since weâve been married for what seems like a short time thatâs flown by, Iâll start at the beginning.
Last August we interviewed and accepted the student pastor position at First Wesleyan Church in Bartlesville, OK. Some of you may know where that is, others may not have the foggiest idea, but for those of you who donât, itâs about 45 min. north of Tulsa, OK. After accepting the position, I (Eric) proceeded to spend the weekdays in OK and the weekends in MO, it proved to be a challenging and tiring time for Brandi and I, but has also proven to be a most rewarding decision.
We were married on September 27, 2003 and were surrounded by all of our closest friends and family. Actually, most of you were probably there! We honeymooned in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Tennessee and definitely enjoyed the time away.
Since moving to Bartlesville, weâve experienced many firsts in life and ministry. Last November we got our first puppy as a couple. Heâs a mini-wiener dog named Oskar. I guess you could call him our âsonâ for the time being. Our time has been spent learning, growing and developing relationships with others and with each other. Weâve put on youth events, a large concert style outreach event, fundraisers, youth camp, a Wesleyan youth convention, a family vacation with the Ebbinghausâ this past August, and Ericâs first-ever camp speaking engagement in Prescott, Arizona.
Brandi has been busy not only helping me with full-time ministry (and doing an amazing job!), but also began working as the 2nd Assistant Manager at American Eagle Outfitters at our mall here in Bartlesville. Though her heart truly lies with the ministry, sheâs done a great job of helping contribute financially and has taken on the store as a mission field not hesitating to witness her beliefs to those around her.
The months of May and June saw us moving out of apartment life into a home we rent from a friend we made here who recently moved to the Washington, D.C. area. Upon moving, we also welcomed our âsecond childâ into the family. Kylee the Cocker Spaniel joined us from Mom and Dadâs ranch after struggling in the outside dog realm. Sheâs proved to be a great friend for Oskar and on top of that is a sock finding magnet. (Timmons, the dog updates are for you.) June saw the passing of Papa Haus, my beloved grandfather and friend. It proved to be a very difficult time as he asked me to conduct his funeral service after going to be with the Lord. I of course, said yes to his request and I think it might be safe to say that my first funeral was most likely one of my most difficult. Nanny is doing well and Brandi and my relationship with her has grown well as we get to speak with her a couple times a week. We love you Nan.
As for me, well I can hardly believe Iâll be 25 in June. Iâm enjoying ministry and have been able to stay extremely active and am just about as busy and productive as ever. The college down the road lets me join in their intramural sports and Iâve been able to help Pastor Lance a bit here at the church with some sports ministry start-up stuff (softball, flag football, and soon-to-be âDunkâ basketball league in the spring). As usual Iâve got more interests than I have time for but am truly thankful the Lord has continued to bless us as a ministry and a family.
Our prayer for you this season is that youâll feel Godâs blessings more richly than ever before. Know that we miss those of you we canât be near to this season and look forward to seeing you again! If youâre interested in tracking our progress online, you can get updates and pictures at ebbinghaus.blogspot.com.
Love Always,
Eric, Brandi, Oskar, and Kylee
Posted on December 24, 2004
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