The Troxel Family Times

December 2008 

To all our dear friends and family: 

We are hoping this letter finds you happy and healthy and enjoying your family and friends during this most blessed of seasons.  

This year has been full of ups and downs but we are always serving the Lord with all our hearts.  We have become more deeply involved in Nenana and with the people here.  We have been told many times over that we are the right people to reach out to Nenana and that we are a blessing to the town.  Some acquaintances that have lived here longer than we have came to us to ask how to become involved in the community.  We were able to tell them how to find out what’s happening and help them find activities to enjoy. 

We have had many good times.  We started an every other month community activity called a Freecycle – like a yard sale but everything is free, and we provided dinner too.  We traveled to Oregon for a Village Missions conference and then on to Iowa to see Bill’s family.  I have made and given away about six quilts to kids that need an extra measure of love.  Aerin started playing the trombone in the school band this year.  Ethan was just awarded his yellow belt in tae kwon do.  Bill was asked to play Santa for the Senior’s Christmas Bazaar, and had a great time.  We attended our first and second potlatch, a native traditional dinner and dance.  We are involved weekly in AWANA, Bible studies, youth group, Sunday services, tae kwon do and crafting at senior housing.  We also volunteer often at the school and community activities.  We have been losing weight and are down 100 pounds between Bill and Rebecca. 

There have been many tragic deaths in Nenana this last year.  In July, Cindy, a church member, died of metastasized breast cancer, leaving a husband and three children.  In October, the mayor’s 15 year old son, Josh, was killed when his snow machine slid in front of a car on the highway.  A man, Richard, died of alcoholism, just two weeks after Josh.  A week later, another young man that grew up here, Freddy, was killed in a snow machine accident in Fairbanks, and was brought to Nenana for services.  Bill was afforded many opportunities to talk to people about God’s ultimate plan and how to deal with the grief of losing a loved one.  Also in August, Nenana was flooded and property was destroyed but no one perished. 

We are looking forward with great expectation to the new year.  We are sure that we are where God wants us to be and doing what God wants us to do.  So whatever this next year brings, we know God is in control.  We update our web pages often so come and see what we are doing.

   nenana.blogspot.com, rebecca0669.blogspot.com and nenana.wordpress.com