Wright Family News 2011

News from the Wright House January 2012

2011 was a whirlwind year. I am truly overwhelmed by the goodness and grace of God on a daily basis. This year, I completed requirements for a B.A. in Global Business at the University of Mobile and began working on my M.B.A., (yeah, I blinked and college was over!). I continued to work part-time as a writer in Media Relations at UMobile and as a freelancer for WORLD magazine online and www.worldoncampus.com. You can see the fruits of my labor on www.umobile.edu/news, the Alabama Baptist, Baptist Press, and the UMobile Magazine (www.umobile.edu/alumni). I also had the privilege of co-authoring my first book titled, "We Forgot! The 7 Unlearned Lessons of 9/11" with Dr. Joe Savage in September. It is currently available from the trunk of my car, on www.twelve23.org and soon through Amazon and Kindle as well.

This summer, I spent a week stormchasing in the Midwest, just for my annual dose of something ridiculous. It was worth every moment, and the chronicles of the journey are on www.stormchaserumobile.wordpress.com. I joined the family in Phoenix for a few days at the SBC (plus all the free books my heart desired), and a sunrise hot air balloon ride for my 20th birthday. In addition to a trip to Australia with the parental unit, (where we taught FAITH evangelism strategies, and naturally, went adventuring), I spent the rest of my time this summer in local missions work through a summer children's ministry job in a poverty-level community in Mobile.

I got to take a somewhat spontaneous trip to Japan with Daddy this November for Disaster Relief in areas impacted by the earthquakes and tsunami, (yes, I did skip school and work for a week to go adventuring, and it was beyond worth it). I also read more than 50 books this year with all my spare time. Occasionally I sleep, but not too much, because I wouldn't want to miss anything.

In 2012, I will be transitioning into a new full-time role as Assistant Director of UMobile's Center for Leadership while continuing work on my M.B.A. You can follow my adventures this year on Twitter @amythewright and on my blog at www.amywright.wordpress.com. Through all of the excitement of 2011 and the anticipation for 2012, I am continuously reminded that our God "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us . . . to him be glory" (Eph. 3:20-21). Amy

Everybody:

Another wonderful year has come and gone! I am almost halfway through my Masters degree work at Southeastern Seminary and have loved every minute of it! I am continuously thankful and overjoyed to be studying there. I work in the media department coordinating audio/video recording, editing, and performances for the school. I have spent the last semester in an internship at my church--which was a great learning experience.

I have a girlfriend named Kayley who is my best friend, best supporter, and chief fashion advisor. (I need that.) In 2012 I will be continuing studies at Southeastern. I am studying to be a church planter in urban areas. Where that means specifically I do not know, but I am excited to embrace whatever God has for me! I am also thankful for all of you and would appreciate your prayers over the next year.

May God bless all of you! Find me on twitter @Jason_Wright Jason

The Wright family greets 2012 with incredible gratefulness. We continue to see the blessings, challenges and opportunities the Lord provides in Mobile and beyond. I am beginning a seventh year serving as Associational Missionary with the Mobile Baptist Association. (Like us on Facebook!) We have grown to 110 churches and 7 language missions. It is very rewarding serving with folks who recognize how much can be accomplished for eternity by working together. We continue to challenge our churches to send one more than ever before in local, state, national and international missions opportunities. This continues to provide ministry options among the nations. On a recent trip we carried 2000 Christmas stockings (in six 62 inch luggage bags) to the tsunami-ravaged region of Japan. Our IMB representatives and Japanese Churches filled the stockings with fruit, snacks and a gospel presentation. The stockings were delivered to temporary housing units built for the survivors. The message of hope provided important opportunities to share Jesus to those who lost family and homes.

Donna and I celebrated 29 years of wedded bliss Jan. 1. We dug out the wedding pictures and the years have been much kinder to my sweetheart than her husband. We enjoy watching Amy and Jason involved with their callings to ministry. My dad is now 93 and still living near Atlanta. His health prohibits driving but he continues to work in the garden and still enjoys singing hymns and playing his mandolin. Thomas

So, if you have read this far you probably are more interested that I thought. I didn’t send very many letters out last year and I heard a loud “what happened?” from some of you—so I tried to get everyone a letter this year (unless you are my friend on facebook or I have your email address). I’m still on church staff (westmobilebaptist.org) and writing. I’ve just finished one writing project and will finish another next month. I’m busy and happy. We’ve had to adjust to not seeing Jason very often but we enjoy having Amy still living at home. We are so predictable, though, that Jason calls when he knows we are both seated in the living room and can talk to him on speaker-phone. Also, the finding friends app is pretty amazing and creepy at the same time.

We did get to cruise to Antarctica early this year. So, now Thomas and I have been to every continent. You’d think that would take care of the desire to go more, but that is not the case. We still have the travel bug.

God has been faithful to our family and extended family as we have seen his grace pour out as we live lives that include the exciting and the mundane, consistency and crisis, loss and gain, and life and death. God is God through it all.

Blessings on you in 2012 Donna: @wrighthouse2 on Twitter