Stevens Family Christmas Letter

January 2025

Dear Loved Ones,

I have to back up to to the middle of November 2023. In anticipation of our 50th anniversary, Dec. 23, 2023, I rented a house on LBI for one week. We invited anyone who wanted to join us for the day or overnight. It had six bedrooms and was right next to the beach. What Bob didn't know was that I invited Dennis (our best man) and Karen Akins to come surprise him. It sure was a success!! We had great weather, although quite cold the first night as the furnace wasn't up and running yet, and many friends and family who came by. Thank you. That was the kick off to one year of celebrating what God has done in our lives. My goal was to have something special every month.


Bob, Dennis, Marti, Karen, and Lydia

After Thanksgiving 2023, Bob had a heart valve replacement. Afterwards, he was sitting up and suddenly said, "The world is shrinking and everything is going black", and he flat lined. Nurses came running and Deb arrived at the same time, and worked with the others to bring him back. David supported me. It was all quite quick, but when you're in the midst, every second seems like minutes!

Three weeks later, I had hernia surgery and came home on our 50th. Good thing I had no celebration plans. Christmas happened around us.

Calvary Full Gospel church in Fairless Hills continues to bless us with excellent teaching and many new friends. It's nice to be so close that we can walk, if we wish. GREAT music, challenging teaching, and a wonderful diverse group of people. We love it there.

Our February special event was four days in the Poconos with Lydia and Joel and his family. Joel and family moved into their own house in Morrisville while we were in Europe. After almost two years, it's rather quiet around here now. We also celebrated Jeremy's 40th over several days so he could enjoy quality time with two families that have loved him for most of those years.

Matthew & Joel

Holly, Ella, Benjamin, & Sophia homeschooling

We also attend church on Monday nights. We are quite active as Bob is a table leader, and I do the cooking. Two of our grand-kids help with sound and the kitchen and are invaluable to Celebration Movement. Having our daughter Amanda helping every Monday just adds to the delight.

Hymn sings continue the 2nd Sunday of each month, September through May. Join us in person or Live at Five on Facebook.

Visited the ship Deb and Dave have been working on - April

The beginning of May, we went to West Virginia for Cailey's graduation from One Life. On the way home, we stayed over with my sister Karen and Roxy in Virginia. It was a quick visit, but so precious. The end of May, our 33rd annual Memorial Day picnic was a highlight.

June marked my 55th high school reunion. We returned to Schenectady and had many opportunities to share about the Lord's faithfulness over several days. It was wonderful to spend time with my sister Gincie that week as well.

Gincie

Later that month, I led the week long missions trip to Ocean City, MD. Son'spot reaches out to the homeless and international students with food, Bible studies and one on one relationships. Several of my grandchildren help each year. What a blessing it is to see them reach out as well as getting up at 5:30 to begin breakfast prep at 6. I lose one every year or so to Teen Missions, but if they are going to serve in Ecuador or India (2024), Bolivia, Peru, or Cambodia (2025), who am I to complain!?! As their grandparents, "We have no greater joy than to hear that our children walk in the truth". III John 1:4

Son'spot

In the beginning of July, the first marriage of our grand-kids generation took place in our backyard. It was HOT and humid, but everyone survived and it was a beautiful ceremony. We love our new granddaughter, Roanne!

Hunter & Roanne

Our annual tradition (36 years) of a week of tenting at Sandy Cove was a great time with the family, but we are changing and trying something new for 2025. We visited Don and Melissa Lundgren in Ocean Grove, NJ, and a house opened up to us right across from the ocean, June 28-July 5. I am so excited!

We decided to do a river cruise with Viking, but we had to renew our passports. We were shocked at how quickly they arrived. More on the cruise later.

We started enjoying First Thursday hymn sings at Keswick and singing with 4-500 people It is a "foretaste of glory divine."

After more than five years, we touched base twice in September with dear Civil War reenacting friends.

The end of September found us in Kansas City, Missouri visiting Dennis and Karen. I guess a week of being with us wasn't too bad as they put us up (or put up with us!) for nine days. We had such a fun time playing games, cooking, hanging out, walking, and sharing our lives together. We squeezed in a trip to the Truman library and then a 50th celebration at The Melting Pot. It was quite the introduction to fondue experience for Karen - Cheese, Meat, and Dessert fondues! We rolled out the door! It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we had amazing people to share it with!

Bob and Dennis playing Backgammon.

Bob decided to install solar. It's been online for almost a month. We are watching to see the results.

October 23-November 9, we left for Amsterdam. They put us up at the Pulizer Hotel. We were greeted with a note from our travel agent, Tricia Salmon. We cannot recommend her highly enough. She made everything so easy! She even had a huge bouquet of flowers in our room and some pastries, along with a card wishing us a happy anniversary trip. Bob showed me around "his" Amsterdam, but that was a bit of a challenge since so much had grown up since 1973. We were able to get into the Anne Frank house, again thanks to Tricia. One has to order the tickets quite a bit ahead of time as she had warned us.

Flowers from our wonderful travel agent were waiting in our Amsterdam hotel

Amsterdam

I won't tell you the details of the trip. You've probably seen the Viking ads for the 15 day cruise to Budapest. The wonder of it all is NOT exaggerated. It was definitely the most relaxed, pampered vacation we have ever had! We cannot say enough good things. If you ever go, spring for the added balcony. We enjoyed watching water fowl and towns go by while drinking our teas or hot chocolates. It added so much to the experience. Hymn sing was less than 20 hours after we returned!

Love this view!

Bob on the narrow stairs

View from the lounge

Our new friend, Cheryl

Enjoying tea on the balcony

Revelation 3:20 - Passau, Germany (Marti's favorite town)

Chess on the top deck

Vienna

Bedroom, looking out beyond our balcony

December 10-12, we made a quick trip to see Sarah and family. We had a birthday breakfast with grandson Stefan at the Buttery Biscuit. Sarah's daughter Danielle joined us. Lexy and Ethan blessed us with their band concert that evening.

December 17th was our Last Resort (Yes, it's still going on!) Christmas Party.

We are rich in friendships. Thank you for enriching our lives, many of you for decades! We give thanks for every precious thought of you.

Love Always,

Bob and Marti

...

2016

Dearest loved ones,

We need to update something from 2015 before moving on. Since 2009, Marti has helped out with child care at a conference in Azerbaijan. In 2015 it was held in the country of Georgia. Bob and Lydia joined in to help the end of March. Marti went on to Azerbaijan for three additional weeks in April. Due to the scheduled arrival of grandchildren she will not be able to go in 2017.

2016 is almost gone. The year has been full of ordinary blessings and some extraordinary surprises. Once a month Hymn Sings followed by a light supper continue to be a source of delight from September through May. Last Resort every Wednesday challenges Marti’s creativity for menus. She brings on consultants to help. J

Our church has luncheons for our missionaries to share what God is doing. Those serving overseas usually come home in the summer, but in February, Marti was asked to host those who are working stateside. So each Sunday morning she was making fresh, hot bread in the kitchen (tantalizing second service with the aroma) to accompany soups and salads.

Watching grand kids, being available for anyone in need, graduations and birthday parties, more missions luncheons, Sandy Cove camping with the family and several extra days with Joel, Holly and family filled in any days not already booked. Lydia came home from 10 months at Capernwray in England before working again at Sandy Cove and then Kohls this fall. Jeremy came home for a short time before going to Iceland for two weeks with his sister, Debbie. After Sandy Cove, he was off to backpack and hang glide the country until after Thanksgiving.

Jeremy encouraged us to travel with him to Utah in 2015 for a backpacking, camping trip of several National Parks. The highlight was hiking down through “Crack in the Wall” into Coyote Gulch and coming out the next day at Jacob Hamblin Arch (Check out U-Tube). He decided it was good to get us adventuring again this year, so in September, Deb, Dave and we joined Jeremy for some camping and hiking in Oregon and Washington. We saw some of the most beautiful mountains (Mt. St. Helens & Rainier), lakes, the blue pool, Columbia River Gorge and the Space Needle. At the top of our list of favorites was spending a few days with Mike and Carol Saia and seeing our flower girl, Heidi Stephens, all grown up and beautiful with her husband Curtis. Flying home on Frontier and arriving 24 hours late gave plenty of opportunity for grace!!!

Local hiking with friends from near and far in October as well as birthdays (time with Sarah & family) filled the month.

October 27, Marti received a call from the leader of the team going to Kenya on a short term missions outreach. He was laid up and couldn’t go – no walking. Not expecting anything, Marti said she’d see if it was a go from the Lord. 3 things needed to happen and fast. Bob gave a “go ahead” right away and a flight had to be arranged. She opened an airline search, and a flight popped up – the exact one the team was taking. She asked the Lord if it was a definite “go” to make it well under $1000. It was less than $800! By the time she called an ecstatic person back 20 minutes later, arrangements had already been made to vote and get everything needed medically. She became the 7^th member of the team. They left 8 days later to go to Nakuru, Kenya. What an experience!! She was back to Africa for the 1^st time in 55 years – very emotional. On the bush trip, she got to go into a mud hut. When she walked into it, her eyes welled up with tears. She was Home! Praying with the 34 children who gave their hearts to Jesus was a real highlight of her time. The dump, schools, crusade and the launching of a new church were amazing. It was nice to see first hand the ministry prayed over for 23 years.

A surprise party for Amanda’s 40^th went off without a hitch and no one spoiled the surprise! That same day a dear friend died so 2 trips to the airport, a memorial service and interment, and watching his two dear Korean grandchildren, while the family met with the chaplain, rounded off this past week.

Life just doesn’t slow down. 2017 will have two additions to our 18 grandchildren! Marti will go to Texas to help Joel & Holly the end of January, and Bob will stay here to help Rachel who is due for #7 in February. He is always available to the kids to help in any way they need him.

God bless you in 2017. Keep serving Him until He calls you home.

Love,

Bob & Marti

email us at:
Bob = imafifer@gmail.com
Marti = AuntMarti7@gmail.com