Christmas 1999    
Friends.                                                  
                                                          
Against a background of Y2K concerns and fears, the Christmas angel says "Fear 
not for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all 
people. For unto you is born this day...  a Saviour...Christ the Lord" (Luke 
2:11) And even tho some of us cannot travel to be with relatives because of 
turn of the century related job assignments, this Saviour is with us because He 
is Immanuel "God with us" (Mat 1:23); we can receive Him in the Christ Mass.  

It's good to stop and consider God's great provision for us as we look back on 
a busy year.  

Memorable was the January 2 blizzard and snow daze that crippled the city for 
over a week. Ron & Mark installed a gas log in fireplace as blizzard (& threat 
of power outage) grew; thank God it wasn't needed.  

At work, Ron started the year with a staff of one who resigned in January right 
after he got his 6 months in!  Another started in September.  Also at DWSD, in 
April, the long toted EMPAC/DRMS computer system was finally born -- or aborted 
live! 

Ron took a class in internet at Henry Ford CC (and set a new standard for 
excellence in the Ron Schultz family: "All A+'s"); the kids learned it without 
a class.  Ron is into buying on ebay: 

As a family we saw some of Oak Ridge Nuclear Facility on a trip to Tennessee 
taking PC to Bryan College for Summit. But we travelled apart more than we 
travelled together: Paul traveled most -- for quizbowl, but John farthest -- 
France & Italy (as part of the CC band); Ron only went to Venezuela (see 
enclosed) PC twice to Vanderbilt U, Nashville; Lee U, Chattanoga; Cleveland 
twice, Oklahoma City via Dallas, Philadelphia, Bowling Green.  In October, Ron, 
Sandy and Paul made a van trip to Boston to see Harvard & Boston College.  

Paul had two top-of-the-world experiences this summer: one was Summit 
ministries leadership camp; the other putting up a TV antenna with John!  And a 
perfect 36 on the ACT elated him too (as did a 1580 on the SAT) a feat for 
which he was published about in 6 papers [Detroit News, Freep, Redford Record, 
Mich Cath, Mich Luth & CC Spectrum] and announced on the radio.  PC took top 
honors at April CC honors convo.  PC's letter to the editor was published 
1/1/99 in Detroit News/Freep and he is the on-line CC Shamrock editor  
[www.catholiccentral.net, click on shamrock] 

Paul, on student council at CC, is running service projects  including Angel 
Tree, abortion crosses, penny wars. Tho he quit the football team (was that 
why they didn't 3-peat as state champions?), he is in 6 AP classes and was 
honored at Silverdome all-academic day as highest in class for 3rd year 
running.

And Paul got the most mail -- from colleges courting him -- even the dean of 
admissions at Bowdoin College (in Maine) sent him an application!  It's been 
hard for Paul to live with his much more mortal siblings: In his impatience 
with their unsubstantial responses, he blurts "if you don't know, render an 
intelligent guess!" 

But Mark had bigger picture in Redford Record with half blue/half white face at 
Shamrock CC football game.  In the 99-00 school year, 10th grader MDS is 
wrestling again but his brothers are only in academic competion (& PC competing 
for scholarships).  Mark hunted on New Years with Uncle Bill. Mark tried to 
make a record turntable (antique from the 70's!) go backwards: his cousin 
Christine says if you play a country record backward, you get your dog back, 
your wife back, your truck back, and your house back!  

In 98-99, freshman John's quizbowl team was 71-0, while PC's was state & 
national champs, 22 trophies not less than 3rd, 16 1st place!  

In May, John confirmed his faith in Jesus; his profession was on "What Prayer 
Means to Me" (see enclosed)  He also attended the Institute in Basic Life 
Principles Seminar with his dad. John was to the Vatican while Paul defiantly 
wore CC jacket to Guardian Lutheran Church and now Sandy is parking a van with 
"CC MOM" license in Guardian Lutheran lot; what kind of Lutherans are they?  
John's picture as part of the CC band last New Year's was in the 11/28 Freep; 
and since Ron's pix from Venezuela trip made the Press and Guide and the Mich 
Lutheran, all men in our household made "the paper"!

Paul took a construction technology class at Ford Votech in Westland.  Ron, 
Paul, and Mark worked on an Inkster Habitat For Humanity house; for 2 days Paul 
was assembly supervisor, directing placement of prebuilt wall sections. He 
liked telling 20 Ford engineers what to do!  

7th grader Joy's basketball team was top in its league. She finished 1st in GLS 
Geography Bee last year, and as of 11/27, is still in the running this year! 
She is still studying piano. She bought Paul's Pentium as Paul upgraded to 
faster machine. She was to Marquette with Sandy, Aunt Donna, and Carole to see 
colors in leafless trees.  

Some of hunting land (40 acres) was lumbered and the  oil lease expired without 
oil drilling on it. In 1999, radios replaced broken phone system at the 
Mustache, 40 years after Ron and friends installed it.  

Sandy's venison stew's well liked as was Ron's blackened BBQ ribs -- but Ron's 
glad to let Mark do the manly(?) task of grilling steaks.

SLS dad at 81 was found to have cancer; Sandy & kids made two trips to visit 
there [S. Ill.] so far this year; one in niece Christine's GMC Jimmy.

Bro Bill has web TV, shot a 4-pt buck 11/17 (not there opening day!)  Karen 
has a seasonal(?) job at Target.  Cousin Charles' son Robert Ruby wed Corrie 
Shultz 9/25.  Aunt Elsie went on to glory 11/12 at 91.  

May the true meaning of Christmas remain uppermost in your 
celebration -- the feast of the birth of our Saviour.  And may He 
give you a joyful and memorable year 2000 -- perhaps by 
His return!  
                             Ron, Sandy, Paul, Mark, John, & Joy Schultz