Getting ready for Christmas.

Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God,, Everlasting Father,  Prince of Peace in Kiswahili
Isaiah 9:6 

 We had a fun and meaningful Thanksgiving this year at the Coast. Yes we ate turkey and had all the side dishes. Jason just returned from a week in Singapore. He had some meetings with Globserv- an international network for missions. We slowly have begun to prepare for the Christmas Day outreach. We are planning to do the same thing at the village that the farm's at just like we have done previously.  We will eat a big meal, spend the day playing with lots of children. We will hand out gifts to all the farmworkers, their spouses and children (there are 20 farmworkers and they have 115 children!) 

Our hope is to present a drama of the birth of Christ. Throughout the years we have acted out funny skits and acted out Old Testament stories. It will be the first time to act out how Jesus entered the world and the surrounding verses of this. Sam, Marissa, and their baby Simeon will be Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus. The rest of us will be Shepherds and angels and Wiseman. I am wanting to start off "the performance " with the story of Abraham and "his son". (Jason and Samara agreed to be these parts).

The Jesus Storybook Bible ends the the story of Abraham and Isaac from Genesis 22 this way:

God wanted His people to live, not die. God wanted to rescue His people, not punish them. But they must trust Him.

"One day Someone will be born into your family, " God promised them. "And He will bring happiness to the world. "

God was getting ready to give the whole world a wonderful present. It would be God's way to tell His people, "I love you."

Many years later, another Son would climb another hill, carrying wood on His back. Like Isaac, He would trust His Father and do what His Father asked. He wouldn't struggle or run away. Who was he? God's Son, his only Son- the Son he loved.

The Lamb of God.

This story resonates with Jews, Christians and Muslims. We will not get caught up on which Son of Abraham was to be offered as a sacrifice but aim to have the focus be on Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice. 

Righteous will be flying "home" on December 21st. Could you be praying for her travels- it will be her first time to do this long trip alone. We are so ecstatic that she is coming because we have been missing her each and every day. Could you also join us in prayer that seeds would be planted in hearts as we pour out our love as our act of worship to the Lord. We not only desire to do this on Christmas Day but all the time with all our lives. 

I've been painting backgrounds for our Christmas Drama. This is for the Shepherds scene.

We found some Wiseman costumes at a second hand shop in town.

The American ladies did some Christmas crafts and had a cookie exchange this past weekend. 

Righteous and her roommates participated in a dorm decorating competition. They brought in snow to their room on a tarp. I think they should win.