!!! Merry Christmas !!!

While preparing for Christmas this year I have been busy traveling and saying some goodbyes. I went down to Florida to visit and say my goodbyes to grandmas, aunts and uncles and a few friends. I am blessed to have an amazing family who while they are sad to see me go are very supportive of the reason why I go.  I love you all and I’m blessed to have you in my life.

While in Orlando, I got to go to Epcot to hang out with Aunt Elizabeth, Gabrielle and the Mouse.  I had a blast! While there we rode some rides and prayed for the Nations while walking from country to country.  We had lunch in Mexico, dinner in France and our hearts broke for the lost in China seeing the statue of Buddha full of offerings left by those visiting the park.

Me and Gabrielle with Our Ears

I made it back home to Georgia in time for Christmas!!  I enjoyed spending Sunday with my church family and celebrating the birth of our Lord and rejoiced in the anticipation of His second coming. The young adults gave me some very thoughtful gifts to take with me to Africa and made me a cake. A huge praise is that the young married couple I have been praying about taking over the group have committed to taking over after the New Year! I’m excited for both them and the group!

My Cake From Young Adults

 

Christmas this year could have been big, wild and full of social chaos but that was not what I wanted. I wanted a nice, quiet Christmas focused on the greatest Christmas present ever given, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  So we celebrated Christmas as a family, the four of us, Dad, Mom, my brother Bryan and me.  

 

If you didn’t know my father is an amazing cook but my mother is also a good cook who does not get to practice her culinary skills that often because my father is the top chef in our home. On Christmas Eve day, mom taught me how to make some of our favorite cookies from scratch, so that I can make them next year in Africa. For fun, I reverted to a childhood favorite activity and made a ginger bread house. I thought it turned out pretty good.

 

My Gingerbread House

We always strive to make it to a candle light service on Christmas Eve. This year we went to one of the churches our family helped charter. It was nice to see old friends and familiar faces.  Since there are not little ones in our home, Christmas morning gets a late start! We sleep in and then have brunch in our PJ’s before gifts are opened.

 

It’s been a great Christmas and I pray Christmas is much more than a baby being born in a manger long ago for you. My prayer is that Christmas will be a reminder and celebration of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ who came to die for you and for me.

                               Merry Christmas!!