~Maria, our Sunday, and Christmas Eve~

~On Saturday I made 106 cookies to pass out to our 2 churches on Sunday. It was worth the effort, they loved them! We had a good service Sunday morning and after church little blind Maria's family invited us over for a yummy meal. We felt blessed by their sacrifice to have us over, when they hardly have any money. They live in a SHACK with dirt floors, and it was raining while we were there, and rain was dripping into their home in some places. I forgot my camera, so I don't have any pictures of our dinner. PLEASE DO KEEP PRAYING ABOUT MARIA'S EYE SURGERY...THE DOCTORS ARE WORRIED THAT THE SURGERY COULD GO WRONG AND SHE COULD GO COMPLETELY BLIND (SHE CAN SEE SOME SHADOWS OUT OF ONE EYE). SO THE DOCTORS AND HER DAD ARE DISCUSSING THE NEGATIVES AND POSITIVES OF HER HAVING SURGERY, BUT THE DOCTORS HAVE THE PARENTS SCARED ABOUT HER HAVING THE SURGERY. FROM WHAT PHILLIP AND I UNDERSTAND HER EYE WILL PROBABLY GET WORSE WITH AGE, SO WE THINK THAT IF IT WERE US WE'D TAKE THE RISK TO HAVE THE SURGERY...HOPING THAT HER EYE GETS IMPROVED WHILE SHE IS STILL YOUNG; HOWEVER MARIA'S DAD AND MOM HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION. PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD GUIDES THEM TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION FOR LITTLE MARIA! THANKS! I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED.~~On Christmas Eve we had a Christmas program and served a meal for BOTH of our churches (which are about 45 minutes apart!) This made for a LONG tiring day, but it was worth it to see our people from both churches enjoy our time together. When we got there to the first church Phillip asked me to lead some Christmas Carols with the congregation while he ran in the back and "practiced" our Christmas program with the kids. You see we have a different group of kids each service and their homes and lives are not disciplined enough to memorize parts and so it was impossible to try to practice with them. So, Phillip read the Christmas story and they acted it out, and that made it more smooth and simple for all involved! Both programs at both churches turned out nicely. Here is Noah; he was a shepherd in both programs.~
~Our Sarah was Mary.~
~The whole "cast"...they did a good job. Phillip took new pipes and bent the tops of them with heat from my stove-top and made these shepherd rods. I thought he did a good job.~
~Kimberly played "Joy to the World" on her violin.~
~I took this little boy to help his Daddy out who was at wits end, trying to see the program and watch him at the same time. Then Phillip asked me to lead some Christmas Carols, so I just went up front holding this little boy.~
~Some of the nearly 40 people that ate at the first church. (in a separate part from the church itself).~
~The lady on the right holding the little girl made "Arroz Con Pollo" (Rice with Chicken) to serve everyone, and we bought the Coke to drink and rolls from a bakery, and Bam! We had a nice meal! IT WAS SUCH A BLESSING TO ME THAT THERE WAS A LADY IN BOTH CHURCHES THAT COOKED THE "ARROZ CON POLLO" FOR THE 2 MEALS. THEY DID A GOOD JOB, AND BOTH MADE IT DELICIOUS! With my being pregnant and living an hour from our churches, and having no car, I was wondering how I cook food for 80 people (40 per church) and haul it up to the churches, keep it hot, etc. So God sent me 2 helpers who live right there beside the churches...and who did a great job cooking for both meals. =D~
After serving the meal at the first church and quickly cleaning up, we stood with our PILES of bags of costumes, paper plates, napkins, spoons, stack of shepherd rods, and family of 5 PRAYING that God would send us a taxi to take us to our 2nd church to DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN (another program, meal, etc.)! God did send us a nice taxi driver and then God gave me/us the strength to make it all happen for our 2nd church too, and for that we THANK HIM! ~The Christmas program in our 2nd church!~
~Our family.~
~The lady on the left made the "Arroz con Pollo" for the 2nd church.~
~A contented group, including our family, waiting to eat the 2nd meal. I took some leftovers home, and that is what we had for Christmas day. =) We are saving our turkey to make when my parents are in here in Jan.~
We had a LONG and EXHAUSTING, but GOOD day ministering to our church people. We came home late Christmas eve night, ready to have a QUIET RESTFUL CHRISTMAS DAY THE NEXT DAY...WITH JUST OUR LITTLE FAMILY! =)
(I HAVE THE POST AND PICS FROM OUR CHRISTMAS DAY ALL READY TO POST, SO COME BACK AND VISIT SOON!)