Dear Family and Friends
 
We hope that you and yours are entering the new year in exceptional health and optimistic spirit. We are grateful for you and pray God's abundant blessings upon you. As we look back on 1997 we can't help but be amazed with God's providence and graciousness.
 
The biggest change for us this past year was our move to South Florida in August to prepare for Allan's psychology internship with the Center for Group Counseling, Boca Raton. Dee Dee made an initial scouting trip in June and by God's grace found a NICU position at Hollywood Memorial Regional Hospital and our apartment near Pembroke Pines. Our address and phone are noted at the bottom of our letter with high hopes you might visit and keep in touch.
 
Alexa is 19.5 months old and the wonder of our lives. She loves to Elmocize and play with her Winnie the Pooh figures. Alexa loves to talk on the phone and is already using three word sentences. She and Dee have a full schedule of activities during the week including story time at Barnes and Noble, "Times for Tots" classes at the community center, and Discovery Zone. When Dee goes to work on the weekends, Allan assumes Mr. Mom duties, enjoying with Alexa the Cradle Roll Sabbath School at the Plantation Seventh-day Adventist Church.
 
Dee is adjusting to a new workplace, missing her friends on the west coast terribly. The challenges of 12-hour night shift and weekend duty are not new to her, but just as taxing as ever. She does take great pleasure in being able to spend the week with Alexa and tooling around in the mini van. Although admittedly it is near impossible to "look cool" in a mini van, Dee comes closer than most.
 
Allan is working a 48-hour week at his psychology internship, but enjoying the challenge and experience of working with a wide range of clientele in the Rogerian, client-centered model. He is doing group therapy, individual therapy, children's play therapy, and teaching. Allan is planning to do oral defense for his dissertation this spring and is even now laying plans to march for his Ph.D. this summer. Please pray that all things will fall into place for us as we come to the light at the end of this long tunnel called "graduate studies."
 
Amazing as it is, dre.am VISION ministries (dVm) is now entering its fourth year. One of the highlights for us was to serve as feature columnists for the Adventist Review writing replies to questions submitted to the X-CHANGE, a column geared towards addressing Generation X issues and young adult lifestyle. We have been delighted with the response and have agreed to continue the column for 1998.
 
With Alexa now part of us, Allan does most of the travelling, speaking and training across the country including stops at: Adventist Ministries Convention, Birmingham, AL; Giraffe University, Berrien Springs, MI; and Southern Union Academy Leadership Conference, Camp Kulaqua, FL. In that dVm was in charge, Dee and Allan both went to the Generation X Symposium in San Diego, CA, getting some time for ourselves as well as coordinating this event for the North American Division (NAD). Allan serves the NAD as teen/young adult online ministries coordinator, public relations officer for AAYMP, and co-chair for the Net'98 young adult task group. We appreciate your continued prayer support for this growing ministry.
 
It seems like just a moment ago we were announcing to you our pregnancy and starting our ministry. We have spun around to find Alexa chatting on the phone and dVm getting called upon more and more. Dee's wish is that we could come up with some way to just pause life a bit so as to enjoy these moments a little longer. One day that wish will come true when time will no longer have meaning. Until that day, we pray for each day to bring you its fullness and our Lord to fill you with His grace.
 
With All Our Love
Deirdre, Alexa, Allan
 
dre.am VISION ministries
2563 Garden Court, #307
Hollywood, FL 33026-3659
 
954.442.3217
954.442.3251.fax
 
dream_VISION_ministries@CompuServe.com
http://www.tagnet.org/dvm