Monday, December 28, 2009

Our first Christmas pageant

The girls are sure getting big!








Lighting The Christ Candle. The "Angel" Sarah closed in prayer.






I hope you can see in this small picture that our pageant included sheep (to the left of the manger) as well as donkeys (on the right against the wall). Also the Orthodox church lent Bogdan the 3 shirts that the Magi were wearing. I thought that was cool.



Our choir on the left with Bogdan's mother. She did a great job preparing the kids.

Taking a few hours with the girls

Elizabeth went out at night to get a picture of ol' Frosty - she knew he would be gone soon. And the answer to your question - no I do not know how to rotate a picture before posting!





The row of kids behind my car, I tried to hold the camera over my shoulder while I drove, but finally had to stop to get the picture.








Elizabeth, Sarah and some friends








In the midst of all the work Elizabeth and Sarah had wanted me to pull them and a few friends behind the car on their sleds. The work will still be there but I wasn't sure the snow would - a warm up with a lot of rain was forecast. They had a great time!

Mocrea Christmas

Sarah helping to distribute gifts to those who couldn't come to the party. There were 165 patients at the hospital and we had a gift bag for every one!





We visited all the rooms where patients couldn't come and sang Christmas Carols. They all enjoyed seeing Santa too!






We had two separate programs with gifts and carols for the ones able to come to the cafeteria. It was a real joy to our hearts!

Christmas food distribution

Vio standing guard over the remaining food bags - we delivered them other places on the way home.

It was such a blessing to have the funds to do this. For this next year I will be praying for the Food Bank to open again!

This is Tina and her mother. Tina is due to give birth to her fourth child any time now. She has no idea of the ages of her other children but she gets them to Sunday School every week and loves church herself.


Those bags were really heavy - about 40 pounds each, without the meat. That was separate.







Yup, that's me with a glove in my mouth - checking my list.

Christmas 2009

Lena with her gift from Widow's Mite. She is standing in front of her wood, which was the biggest blessing for her.






We delivered lap blankets to the old folks home in Comlosul Mare. 10% of everything that comes in for Widow's Mite goes to Pastor Timis to help with the elderly in the judet of Timis.





Eva, from Widow's Mite program at Christmas. She loved her new hat!








Pastor Hada at Maranatha. We were able to attend their lovely Christmas program and deliver gifts. The children sang beautifully.

We were also able to do a distribution at another orphanage in Fantanele and our school in Sanicolaul Mic.





Christmas day at our house








Vio and I made a tremendous amount of food for Christmas dinner. I wanted to be able to invite anyone that I heard would be alone. I could have invited the 7th Calvary with all the food we had! I have not cooked since!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

There is so much I want to write about: the Mocrea Christmas party went so well! Today we did a large food distribution in Vinga and had the dress rehearsal for our Christmas program tomorrow - what a hoot that was! The important thing is that many children are involved! We have a few more gifts to distribute to the Widow's on Monday.

I managed to fall on the ice today, which was not the best thing for my knee. Tonight Elizabeth said she never wanted to get old. Why not, I asked - most of us do you know. She said because she doesn't want her legs to hurt like mine do. I explained that I played baseball well past the time I should have known better and was well warned by doctors about how my knees might be when I got older. Well now I am older...besides I told Elizabeth I could have them replaced. She asked why I didn't and then said probably I didn't have the money. She said she would save her allocation from the State to buy me new knees. Gosh I was touched and just smiled at her and then after a pause she added - as soon as I buy my MP3 player of course. I roared with laughter.

I do have pictures to share and I will get to it soon! I have 2 more days of ministry work for Christmas and then I am done. Praise The Lord for all His provision and sending people alongside to help at this time of year.

Irene, Wayne, Walter and myself had a lovely dinner tonight and a time of fellowship and prayer. We all have been so busy but needed this time this evening! We can get so busy with what we think is God's work that we leave no time for Him. After all, He is the reason for the season.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Deep in to December!

There are so many things and pictures I want to share with you...but I am on the run! We have a large Sunday School presentation this Sunday with dress rehearsal on Saturday, following close on the heels of the Christmas food distribution in Vinga.

Yesterday we were able to return to Mocrea. They were in quarantine due to the Swine Flu. I was glad to be back. Some of the patients didn't understand and thought we had abandoned them. We go back on Friday for the big Christmas party there.

In A few minutes we go to the judet of Timis to take gifts for the widows in 2 villages as well as visit an old folks home in one of the villages and the AIDS hospital.

Irene and Wayne have been wonderful. They leave Dec. 22 but Peter stays on.

I will post some pictures soon!