Sunday Evening Carol Sing

Well, the weather outside is frightful

And the heat is so spiteful

Since we have no place to go

Turn the air con way down low

Ok, so that is not exactly how the song goes, but well, here it’s hot.  With sweat a constant companion and one must constantly be drinking to stay hydrated, it’s hard for this Midwest girl to really believe that Christmas is just around the corner.  There are no signs in town yet of Christmas coming, although I’m sure soon there will be a few places with decorations. Yet, the calendar doesn't lie.  The calendar says that in just 14 days it will be Christmas.  So even though it’s hot and it just doesn't “feel” like the Christmas season, we have started playing Christmas music.  Hopefully this week our decorations will get put up.  We did have a very special treat last Sunday night at the English Fellowship.  It was a night of singing Christmas Carols.

   Conrad has agreed to lead the worship part to the English Fellowship service every week.  I usually help out some way, sometimes it’s playing violin and other times it’s running the power point.  It’s a way that we feel we can bless others. I remember the first Sunday here and being able to sing in my heart language (English) after spending 10 months worshiping only in Portuguese.  Tears flowed down my face.  The words were familiar and I could just worship without making sure I knew what was being said by translating everything in my head.  Recently, we heard of a young man between 10-12 ,who has asked his family to come every Sunday night so he could worship in the language of his heart too.   So we do believe it is filling a need here among the English speaking Christian community.  Since Conrad is in charge of music, we decided to do one night of carol singing this year.  Originally, the carol sing had been planned to be right before Christmas.  But since we wanted to have another missionary who plays piano join us, this last Sunday was the only Sunday this month that worked for both of us.  So we planned an evening of singing Christmas Carols with the Christmas Scriptures read amongst the songs.   I put up a few Christmas decorations to help “set” the mood inside the room.   It was such a special night as even in the heat, we could celebrate the birth of our Savior and the reason that we are all here.  Without Jesus’ birth, there would be no reason for me to be in Mozambique. 

   While the weather outside doesn't remind me of Christmas, Christmas is coming.  Christmas is a time of celebrating the birth of a child named Emmanuel that changed the world forever with His sacrifice on the cross 33 years later.  So even in the heat I will hang my Christmas lights, put up the tree, work with the kids on memorizing Luke 2, and be thankful that God was willing to send His only Son to the world to save me from my sins. 

As you entered the room

This was in the front.  Alissa helped put the decorations on the tree and set up the nativity.  She was soooo pleased with how it turned out.