Sorry these pics are a little late...I'm thankful for good internet access again!!!
"...the true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world..."
So thankful that Val's parents were here for Christmas!
Along with some special friends!!!
I told Santa that he didn't look the same as the one in the States...and he said, "I know." ;)
One of our favorite gifts that we opened on Christmas morning...a can of Easy Cheese and a box of Wheat Thins!!!
We went to another of our favorite restaurants to share tea with the owner. We call her Mariah, and her restaurant Mariah's (b/c she used to play a Mariah Carey CD everytime we came in).
This lady and her husband opened the first bakery on our street...something we were very thankful for!!! She gave us these lil Santa hats.
We're so thankful for these neighbors, and the day we were able to share spending time with them!
Last weekend our classmates came over, and after sharing the Christmas story and my own story with them, I found out some exciting news! My classmate, LH, who's Dad has been really sick with cancer, had a visitor come to his hospital room last week. That visitor shared some very good news with her dad and he trusted in that message just a few days ago!!! :) I still can't believe it!!! This past Thursday night her dad passed away, to never be apart from his Maker again! But please lift up LH and her boyfriend with me, as her heart is grieving. She will not be able to return to her home country, and she is so heartbroken! May she find the peace and comfort that only the gift we celebrate at Christmas can bring!!!
(Above) Joy and I piled up 25 deep in our classmates living room last week to have a taste of their home country and celebrate one of their birthdays...memories! (Below) Somehow our lil freezer iced over and we couldn't open most of the drawers...so we got out the hairdryer and a couple of knives, and the ice was gone in no time. :)
In the first city I went to, the girls and I got to reunite with a precious family that used to live in our city. Thanksgiving Eve was "performance night"...so the girls and I coregraphed a special dance for them!
Thanksgiving Day we had a delicious feast...big thanks to our mommies for the special ingredients yall sent!!!
We had a wonderful time giving thanks to our Father...
not only for the grub ;), but for each other, the opportunity to live here, and for his unceasing goodness!!!
So when I walked in with my friends...I was tickled to see that the girls had spent all afternoon making a GATOR cake and decorating the house with all my gator stuff!! So a big thanks to Val, Sarah, and Joy and their mommies for sending lots of great stuff to make a delicious cake...and for sending toppings so we could have an all-out ice cream sundae fest!!!
Isn't it CUTE!!!
On of the things I was really excited about is that my new classmates came! So this is Joy and I with our classmates!
Cat and Belle, sweet sisters!
After a couple of dancing games, the cup game, a round of Mafia, and giving thanks to the Maker, we all got together for a group shot!
And after the party the girls surprised me with these new shades and camo kicks! They actually found my size (of course they're mens and labeled "giant" ;) )!!
Thanks so much for an awesome birthday...love you guys!!!
We decided to take a steep little narrow path when we came to a fork, and what started out as stepping stones, quickly turned into boulder climbing! Haha!
"I lift up my eyes to the hills-
It was really beautiful from the top to look out one way to see our district of the city, and then turn around to the other and see the countryside!
Everybody got to paint their own ornament and hang it on the tree!
Lisa and Sally started decorating each other!
I got the priveledge of putting the star on the top of the tree...b/c my arms are the longest!
The decorating crew!
The nativity scene!
After sharing the Christmas story, Joy taught everyone Christmas Carols!
Thank the Maker for the gift of Emmanuel, and the many opportunities this season will bring!!!