Advent 2025

Dear Friends and Family,

The cold and snow of a Minnesota December remind us that the year is once again turning from old to new. Meanwhile, we are simply turning old! We are thankful that our health remains excellent, we get to a gym nearly every day, and our activities at church and in the community are as robust as ever. Nevertheless we find ourselves spending more time in waiting rooms, getting check-ups, and thinking about Medicare coverage!

The “new” in our lives comes from our children and grandchildren.

L-R: Brandon, Sarah, “Chappy,” Mark, Harper, Clara, Matt, 
Corbin, Malcolm, Mary, Katherine, and “Timber.”

In Kansas, Sarah and Brandon continue in their federal law enforcement careers. Their daughter, Harper, is now officially a teenager at 13 and in 7th grade. Her brother, Corbin, age 11, is in his last year of elementary school and will follow his sister to middle school next fall. Malcolm, who will be 8 next month, enjoys life as a 2nd grader.

Here in the Twin Cities, Katherine and Matt also continue their careers – Matt as an engineer and Katherine as a composer and co-founder of Minnesota Winds, a professional concert band. Their daughter Clara, age 7, is in 2nd grade.

We are also thankful that we are still not too old to pursue our passion of discovering new things in the world through travel. Our ventures this year included a trip to Mexico in February, a river cruise from Budapest to the Black Sea in May, and a journey through northern Spain and Portugal in October.

We pray that you all may have a blessed celebration of the coming of the One who makes all things new! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Mark & Mary Johns