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Weird Christmas?

After my last dismal post that seems to have been up for an eternity I thought that I would bring you up to date as to our latest happenings. This was actually the weirdest Christmas that either of us has ever experienced. The weird part was being alone on Christmas day with no kids and no presents! Weird!

However, in God's goodness we did have some very bright spots during this special time. Christmas Eve we had 18 present at our home for a special, first ever, Christmas Eve service for Faith Baptist Church. We sang Christmas carols and interspersed a reading of the whole Christmas story. I started with a few of the prophecies of Jesus' birth, then went to the story itself in Matthew and Luke. After all was read I asked, "How many of you have never heard this story before?" Six raised their hands! It was amazing to be a part of their first hearing of The wonderful Story!

After that special time we went to our coworker's home for an evening meal with his family. After the meal we played games and welcomed in Christmas day just after mid-night. It was a very Brazilian way of celebrating Christmas and was fun too. We got home at about 1:45 A.M..

Christmas day we received a phone call from: Dad and Mom, Abby, Ann and Jackson and Amy and Art, and Cindy and Steve! It was the most call we have received in one day since our return in August! Each was very encouraging. Christmas day P.M. we received a visit from one of our teen. Maicom came over to wish us a Merry Christmas. He had other news that made us very happy too. God had given him two great spiritual victories. Rather than party like he had in the past he was able to resist the temptations that came at him from every direction and member of his family. We were very proud of him!

So, though kind of weird for a Christmas day, God blessed us several special ways (a little Christmas poem there). Thanks for those who held us up in prayer! God is faithful!

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