Holiday News

Happy Holidays from the Swanson Family

We have had an amazing year.  We are so grateful for the precious gift of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.  His mercy renews us daily and gives us hope for a future.  It is exciting to celebrate the birth of Jesus who provided the way through death on the cross and Resurrection from the dead. The greatest gift we could have on earth beyond our relationship with Jesus Christ is to have all of our children following Jesus and loving Him more than anything in life.  We are humbled and grateful.  We pray and hope that you will find peace and joy this holiday season through relationship with Jesus Christ.

Karl had a busy year.  He went to Newport, CT to Officer Candidate School in March for a grueling 3 months.  We were so happy to have all of us (and Karl's girlfriend Sami) fly back for the Naval Officer Commissioning Ceremony.  He spent the next 6 months in Charleston, NC where he completed Nuclear Propulsion Power School.  He now lives in Clifton Park, NY for the next 6 months at prototype school.  He will be working on and learning the ins and outs of the Nuclear Propulsion systems that will be on future submarines.  

 Claire is busy with senior year responsibilities such as college applications (she currently has chosen and applied for 6 colleges), scholarships, AP classes, and SAT and ACT tests.  She is on the high school cross country ski team currently and is part of student council and National Honor Society as well.  She is a leader in Christian Community Church Youth group and leads the worship music. She also sings on the Sunday morning worship team regularly.  She just completed Choral All-State (3rd year) where we had the privilege of  watching her participate in incredible and difficult music performed by the top musicians in Alaska.

Kirsten is finishing up her senior year at Point Loma Nazarene University.  We have been blessed to have her home every summer.  She works multiple jobs each summer and enjoys being in Alaska. She will graduate with a degree in Music Education and will continue on at some point to get her M.A.T. in elementary ed and complete her student teaching.  She has a couple of singing opportunities in the 'fire' which could land her a job performing for a few years.  We will see how it all pans out.  We were all so thankful to fly down to San Diego for her final college recital.  We were blown away.  She has matured vocally into quite a singer.   We also got to follow her jazz band (she is the vocalist) and watch her perform at Magic Mountain.  She lives off campus with 4 other girls and enjoys her house mates and stays busy paddle-boarding, bike riding and being Nanny to a couple of amazing children.

I (Lenore) am still teaching at McNeil Canyon Elementary School.  This year my job has changed a bit and includes K-6 Music/PE, 1st grade math and 1st/2nd grade science.  I started off the year teaching an after school Archery program.  Currently I am co-teaching after school drama club in preparation for our winter musical.  I am learning my 2nd new instrument this school year.  I had a wonderful guest teacher (Sharon Shultz) for the first few months of school who taught my students (and me) to play the Ukulele.  I am also learning to play the trumpet (I learn a new band instrument every year).  This past summer I was able to visit some of my dear friends from Sitka (all retired Coast Guard) in Atlanta, my uncle Roger and aunt Marsha in NC, and Karl in SC.  My summer highlight was water sports in warm water (I am an Alaskan after all), where I tried jet skiing, paddle-boarding, and zip-lining for the first time.  I still teach high school Sunday school (an apologetic course by Answers in Genesis) at Christian Community Church, and play piano, keyboard, bass guitar or 6 string guitar most weeks on the worship team.  We love our church and are so thankful for God's hand in making us a crazy body of messed up people who love Jesus and each other.  It is awesome to be part of a church who is following the Biblical example of the Body of Christ.

 Pete is still the principal of McNeil Elementary School (my boss). He currently serves as the president of the administrators in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District.  He hunts and fishes whenever he gets the opportunity.  He commercial fished Bristol Bay this past summer and hopes to fish again this coming summer.  He stays busy keeping the house up and running, making firewood for the winter (he IS the 'splitter') and keeping all the vehicles running.  Pete continues to be an elder at Christian Community Church and serves the church however needed.  One of his Christmas highlights is delivering gifts to "Angel Tree" children in the community.

All is well this holiday season.  We wish you joy in Jesus Christ and Peace in a world of turmoil.    Isaiah 9:6  "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."  Jesus is His name.