Dearest Nathanael Alim,
Happy birthday, son! Another year full of life and learning! We thank God for the gift of you. What a year it has been!
On May 6, 2014, not long after your fourth birthday, you expressed your desire to follow Jesus. It was such an exciting season for you, talking for the first time about wanting Jesus to live in you, learning about asking Him for help, learning that you can depend on Him in every season... It is a journey that has only just begun, one you will travel your entire life. We are so excited for you, and we praise God that He has brought you out of darkness into His glorious light. For eternity!
This year, we began memorizing Bible verses, and we have delighted in hearing you pull these verses into your everyday life, talking about how they apply and how God helps you through His Word. One such example is in dealing with children wanting you to join them in bad behavior. We've spoken a lot about not being overcome by evil, but overcoming evil with good, (Romans 12:21), about what it means to love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18), and about how you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength (Philippians 4:13). A few others that have been significant for you and that have been a part of many conversations this year: Philippians 2:14, Psalm 118:24, Psalm 56:3, Ephesians 6:1, and Luke 18:27b.
In September, you moved into a new group at Kindergarten, the yellow group, where the "older kids" go. You, along with a couple other four-year-olds, joined the five-year-olds in the preparatory year for elementary school. It has been an excellent move for you. The teachers frequently comment about how great your German has become, and the older class has challenged you and increased your interest in certain activities such as organized games, puzzles, and drawing. Just the other day, you began writing the beginning of your name on your own, and we are proud of your growth. The first few months of being in the yellow group were difficult, as you were often called a "baby" by the older kids, simply for being the youngest. We prayed that God would help us know what was going on with you, and then you opened up to me one afternoon and shared all about it. We had a wonderful opportunity to speak about who you are, that you are loved by Dad and Mom, and that most importantly, you are loved by God.
You are a great big brother. This year has brought quite a bit of adjustment in being a big brother. Eva went from non-mobile to extremely mobile this year, and you have had to be okay with having her following you everywhere and "messing up" many of your carefully planned creations. It is not easy, but we are proud of the growth we're seeing in you. Many times, you choose to share, to be kind, to give Eva something she'd like while you find something else. You are learning about what it means to love people by sacrificing for them, and we are proud of you. You and your sister have so much fun together. No one can get the two of you giggling more than when you're together!
Last summer, we returned to the family resort hotel near Antalya, Turkey, and you loved it just as much as the prior year. You began learning some of the required movements for swimming and really increased in your confidence in water. We can't wait to go to Turkey again in August! You were able to visit a few water parks with your Kindergarten last summer, a definite highlight for you (and huge leaps of faith for Dad and Mom). The summer also included allowing you to order chocolate ice cream cones from Tichy, something we did quite often actually! Grandpa and Grandma visited in the summer, and we all explored Salzburg together, and then they returned for Christmas with Uncle Drew and Auntie Carrie! We made lots of great memories together, as always. The dear Cioffi family visited as well, and you especially loved sharing life with Josiah for a week! We are so thankful for Skype and staying connected with family and friends despite the distance. Speaking of family, last week, you became a cousin! You are excited to fly to London soon to visit Uncle Andrew, Auntie Angie, and Desmond. It will be your first time in an English-speaking country since your second birthday! :)
You remain an incredibly active, seemingly constantly moving, passionate, talkative, inquisitive kid. You love people, love being with people, visiting people, having people over, praying for people, hearing stories about people, caring for people, and most importantly talking, talking, talking with people... You maintain your initial hesitation with new people, but after some time, become quite attached. Your favorite activities include: building with Legos (both following the set instructions and creating elaborate scenes on your own), playing with cars, building with play dough, coloring, listening to stories (we recently got into chapter books!), singing songs, dancing and jumping, riding your balance bike, running, climbing, playing in the sand... You create complicated stories and weave many different themes and settings in and out of your play, which is quite entertaining, and sometimes quite confusing, for us. You really enjoy playing alone a lot now, which may have more to do with maintaining control over your toys without Eva's interference. ;) Still, you have matured quite a bit in your independence in the last year.
Your big birthday gift this year is a bike, and we are excited for you to learn and become comfortable and to discover the freedom of riding a bike! We know you are ready.
Nathanael, you are a blessing to Dad and me. We are constantly challenged by you, challenged to look to God to raise you and love you well, challenged to trust your Maker completely with your life. We know He has great things for you, a glorious plan to use you for His glory, to use your love for people and your energy and joy and passion, that He may be lifted high. Keep following Jesus, son. He is everything.
We love you. Happy birthday!
Mom
Nathanael Alim King,
looking so grown up on his last day as a four-year-old:
