Andrew's Christmas Letter

Welcome one and all to the Christmas tell all
I have no choice in the matter
As I am doomed by the fall
Between the cling and the clatter
It just seems too tall
For those of us who matter
This is the Christmas Tell all.

Merry Christmas Everybody, Andrew Vik here. I have had a good year and I am thankful to the Lord for many blessings, although I’m still disappointed that I cannot grow a decent beard.

I still work at Village Creek Bible Camp in Lansing Iowa. I am gainfully employed (not sure what that means) as the program director, and helped run 12 weeks of summer programming. It was a fun experience and I will do the same thing next summer.

I have also helped build a new dining hall at camp and have learned a lot about construction. The coolest part about the whole shebang is that I became pretty good friends with the guy in charge of the project. So good of friends in fact that I was in his wedding, and he will be in mine.

So last year I had started dating a pretty awesome girl and I looked forward to what the Lord had in store for us. Well, she is crazy…in love with me.

At first she didn’t want to get married til she was done with school in five years (a tad long I thought) so I didn’t take too much stock in this cause I am me and surely she would change her mind after spending time with me.

Well sure enough, in February she said we could get married In January of 2011. Then this fall she asked when I was planning to propose. (I know, a little forward - girls were not like this in my day) because she needed to line up school housing for next year. She asked if she needed housing for one semester or two. I said as a joke (albeit one with some hope behind it) “What if you didn’t have to for any semesters?”

She really liked the idea so I talked to my parents and her parents. We went ring shopping and I proposed on her birthday. I don’t have to tell you if she said yes or not, cause one alternative is amazing and the other would have been crazy. So I’m in love with the girl and we are getting married next May.


This has been the first year I have spent without my family. They live in Wisconsin so I have seen them less than any year of my life and not surprisingly (cause my momma said this would happen) I have missed them a lot. But the good news is they love Rachel, and me too.

My older sister Christina is in Spain, and will get back just in time for the wedding. Kiah plans to visit Christina in March.

Erica graduates in May which seems a little weird, about as weird as Amy becoming a teenager. Anna worked at camp with me this summer and everyone liked her more than me. Then there’s Lani, who may already be smarter than me.


My Dad (Keith, he has a beard and I don’t) enjoys his church, and I have been very grateful for his advice and leadership. My Mom is very good to me. I can always call home and get new recipes and good advice.

This year has been a great reminder of the Lord’s faithfulness. As the line from the hymn How Firm a Foundation says, “How firm a foundation ye saints of the Lord is laid for your faith in His excellent word.”

And Psalms 119:9 says, “How can a young man keep his way pure, by living according to Your word.” Every day I am reminded of my reliance on the Lord, and as I get ready to start my life with Rachel next May, I am asking for prayers for a firm foundation grounded in God’s Word.

So that is out an eggshell a rundown of the general synopsis of the summary reviewing what’s going on in my life. Thank you for reading and as always,

In Christ
Andrew Vik

Problem Solved

My fun-loving son, Andrew, has an amazing mind. I don't know of anyone else who can write the things he does. If you need a good laugh and can tolerate a long crazy tongue-in-cheek essay/article/rambling thoughts, click on the following link. If you get tired of reading, go to the last paragraph for the surprise ending.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/15959368/Problem-Solved-by-Andrew-Vik

Disclaimer: This letter is posted on a third party website. This is the only document we have posted. The related document links on the side have nothing to do with Andrew's document. Enter those links at your own risk. They may be just fine, but I haven't looked at them so couldn't vouch for their safety. Andrew's letter if fine. Strange, but fine.

That Little Voice

By Andrew

I thought it might happen sooner or later but I didn't really expect it for a few years yet, at least not until I was well into my 30's.

At the camp where I work, we are laying waterlines in a trench that was six feet deep and eight feet wide. I've had fun jumping with amazing skill and prowess across the trench and yelling "INDIANA JONES" at the same time.

Now this was all good and fun until the backhoe widened my trench to a good twelve feet across. Last Wednesday I bounded out of the Activity Center and started running toward the trench to jump it, when all of a sudden a little voice in my head said, "Hey, you have a sprained ankle. Maybe jumping the trench is not such a good idea."

I was shocked!!!

This was the first time in my life EVER that the safety mechanism kicked in. Before my brain used to say things like, "Yeah, you can make it", "It's only a short fall", or "The car is only moving 30 mph, no big deal." Now I actually have something in my head telling me it my not be safe.

Could I be growing up?

Well, I am not sure I would jump that gun completely yet, but I will have to say that I am a whole lot closer to living past 40 now that my brain actually tells me not to do dumb stuff.

School Is Not So Bad

Notes From the Workaday World

by Andrew Vik

To be sure the thought of finding happiness in school never crosses any kid's mind. Dreading assignments and hoping for weekends without homework, yes, but never happiness. I suffered through my first 14 years of school thinking and wishing that it could just be done and I could move on with life.

One year removed from community college, three removed from high school, I have just now discovered the value of education. Now don’t get me wrong, this discovery was not aided by a sense of needing to better myself through education or an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, nope nothing like that.

Nope, it’s these notes about the workaday world that have got me thinking that school wasn’t the worst thing ever.

Note #1, having to be up every day for work is just not the same as having to get to your early class. Cause you see, while you can skip your early class, you can’t not show up to work.

Oh, and employers don’t care what your dog ate.

Note #2, College life is really actually pretty easy, the only thing you really have resembling responsibility is getting to class on time and studying for your tests.

I could go on with a few other notes but for now kids, don’t be too cool for school: it is nice, it is easy, and I will be going back for seconds, Lord willing.

(Editor's note: This is music to his Mama's ears)