DAVIDS’ ADVENT GREETINGS 2011

Pasted Graphic










“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.” Isaiah 9:6

Our year has been eventful! On December 28, 2010 we left St. Stephen, New Brunswick in eastern Canada and began our drive to Houston, Texas. We had planned to leave the day before but were delayed by a blizzard; so, we drove on snow-packed roads praying that we would not slip off the road, visiting Peter’s brothers, John and Robert & families on the way.
2011 for us has been a real adventure as we moved in with Judy’s sister in Houston on January 2nd and Peter began teaching at Houston Baptist University (HBU) as an adjunct. We had just spent the first semester of the year on a voluntary unpaid sabbatical from St. Stephen’s University and had decided that we needed some income so we had explored a teaching job at HBU and Peter had gotten the position and my sister and brother-in-law allowed us to live with them rent-free. We are so grateful for their generous gift to us.
On March 8th, Judy left Peter and Houston and traveled to Mission, BC to the home of our son and daughter-in-law who were expecting their first child. Adana Elizabeth Davids, pictured above, made her appearance in the world on March 27th and brought great joy to all of us.
On, April 11th, Peter got a ¾ position as a professor at HBU, for which we are very grateful, even though it was at the very last minute before Peter had to leave for New Brunswick.
On April 12th, Judy flew to New Brunswick from British Columbia and Peter flew to New Brunswick from Houston for our son-in-law’s graduation from St. Stephen’s University. We listened to him masterfully present his thesis on Louis Riel on April 14th, went to his Ovation on April 15th and processed with the faculty on April 16th to present Brent with his Honors Bachelor’s Degree. We were very proud of him. Peter also resigned his position at St. Stephen’s University on that weekend (as mentioned above, he was already on unpaid sabbatical). Then next we flew back to Houston and Peter continued his adjunct teaching at HBU. For our family, it had been a very big and very exciting week in St. Stephen.
During the second week in May, we visited our elder daughter and enjoyed our granddaughters’ dance recital in Calgary, AB, having been sent two points’ tickets by our daughter and son-in-law. After flying back to Houston, Peter taught a course as an adjunct at Houston Graduate School of Theology. We also earnestly began working on getting our own place to live in Houston. We put a contract on a condo near my sister.
On May 25th, we flew back to St. Stephen and began the long arduous job of packing up our household goods to move to Houston. We would leave Gwen and Brent in our house there in the upstairs apartment and rent out our downstairs apartment.
At the end of July greatly saddened, we had to say many goodbyes to SSU faculty and staff, town’s people, church people and family. There were parties, gifts and tears. We were there thankfully during the loveliest time of year, late spring and summer. During this process, we learned that our condo deal had fallen through but a townhouse in the very same complex in which we used to live, (only four doors down) had come on the market – so we put a bid on it, asking my sister and husband to view it for us. We flew back to Houston on July 27th and off-loaded our truck of goods into the garage of our soon-to-be new townhome, thanks to the owner’s generosity. The 108 degrees F. made that a very memorable day. The loan process was long – so we did not get to move into our new place until September 3rd. Peter began his new job on August 1st and we thankfully got him all moved into his office at HBU and all set up in time to work.
The fall has meant for Peter, settling into his new teaching position, for Judy settling the new home. Finding a family church home at All Saints Episcopal in Stafford, TX was a process as well. With the help of Judy’s sister and brother-in-law and several very good friends, we have even got our pictures hung in our new place. We are very grateful to be settled, to have a job (even if ¾ time and a 2 year contract) and a new home in a more moderate climate. Most of our friends are old friends from our sojourn in Houston before our latest venture into Canada. We are very grateful for them as well. We are beginning to make some new friends too, which is a good thing. We even found a new dentist and a new doctor this week. Gwen is expecting our eighth grandchild in June – so a new one is coming!
So we come to the Advent season, making another new beginning as we contemplate the new beginning that Christ’s birth allowed the world and us to make. We are so grateful for our Savior and for His love and the hope that He will come again. We are grateful for you, our friends and family, as well. Let us give thanks for the new beginning of Christ who came as a new baby and who is coming again soon as the acknowledged King of Kings.
Notice, we moved and our new address is below:
11668 S. Kirkwood Rd.
Stafford, TX 77477-1344 USA Website: http://www.davidsnet.ws/biblical
Home Phone: 281 495 1241; Peter’s cell; 713 314 7886; Judy’s cell: 832 398 9519
Email remains peter@davidsnet.ws or judy@davidsnet.ws ;