For me, the holidays again started with a bountiful Thanksgiving feast with friends and fellow missionaries at the home of Dr. Kent and his family. If possible, I think this year’s feast even surpassed last year’s as roasted goose and pumpkin pie were added to the menu! I can’t tell you what a treat this feast was, here in the land of perpetual rice! There was not a single grain to be seen that day!
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| Feasting and fellowship! |
In early December, the Christmas festivities began, starting with a home decorating party. All the kids had a job, putting up the tree, making snowflakes, stringing lights and garland, or hanging our new stockings (Thanks Sigrid!). The home really looked great this year!
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| The boys hanging lights. |
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| Tree trimmers Pinu and Srey Mao |
The second week of December, I drove with Mom, Witt, and eight of the big kids across the country to the southern part of Cambodia to do an outreach at Mom’s hometown church where her father serves as pastor. We first helped clean and decorate the little church……..
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| Laen decorating the church. |
...then, the following day, Mom, Witt and the kids hosted a Christmas program for the church members, families, and many neighbors invited from the community, about 120 people altogether. The program was very good and included, songs, skits, testimonies, games, and sharing of the gospel. I was so proud of them! The kids are really growing up!
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| Christmas program outreach |
We even squeezed in a little time to visit the beach in Sihanoukville, which was the first time several of the kids had ever seen the ocean! We thank God for this opportunity to have served Him and to minister to fellow Christians in Cambodia.
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| Chanthorn enjoying the ocean! |
When we returned from the outreach, it was time for me to get serious about some Christmas shopping! The staff gave me the task of shopping for ALL the kids this year, that’s 40 kids! On top of this was my own Christmas shopping for the staff, helping the kids to buy gifts for their houseparents, and preparing gift bags for two more outreaches. Altogether I figured I purchased gifts for about 110 people this year! Oiy! And you thought your list was long! It was actually a lot of fun, and I’m so thankful to the Lord for our ministry friends and partners who gave special gifts to make all of this possible! Thank you!
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| An abundant Christmas! |
As Christmas neared, we did another small outreach to about 30 poor children in a feeding program at our local church……..
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| Praying for kids at the outreach. |
…….and went caroling around the community to spread a little Christmas joy!
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| Joy to the World! |
Finally, Christmas day arrived. What a wonderful day we had! In the morning, the kids did yet another outreach, this time to their friends from school, sharing the nativity story as well as the gospel, building relationships and planting seeds……
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| Outreach to kids' friends. |
The afternoon was filled with fun and games……..
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| Fierce competition |
And in the evening was our own family Christmas with more skits, songs, and opening of presents. In the Cambodian culture, it is tradition for the birthday person gives gifts to others, rather than receiving gifts for himself. So we all thanked Jesus for the gifts He gave us on His birthday, and especially for the most precious gift of all, Himself.
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Following close on the heals of Christmas, we celebrated New Year’s Eve with a giant bonfire in the front yard, a time of reflection and thanksgiving, and then movies until 4am. (For the kids, that is. I barely saw midnight!).
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| Auld lang syne |
Now the Near Year is in full swing. The kids have started soccer league again and Sunday afternoons are consumed with soccer games.
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| Sou Sou MMF! |
I was blessed to be able to take a week away at the end of January to a small Thai island called Koh Mak to just spend time with the Lord and get refreshed. It has been a challenging year personally, so I was thankful to have some time to reflect on this past year and to pray about the coming year. The Lord was gracious indeed to meet with me there.
One of my challenges in the past year has been persistent homesickness. I desired to come home for a visit, but felt the Lord was always guiding me to wait, and wait, and wait. Now it seems the wait is finally over, and I have peace from the Lord about making the trip home. Yay! I purchased a ticket for early March with a return flight in mid-April, about six weeks total. My plan is to visit my family in Missouri for a few weeks, then Lord willing, also visit Oregon and SoCal. I am so excited about once again being reunited with family and friends! And I hope I can meet many of you in person whom I’ve only met via e-mail so far. Please let me know if you’d like to get together to share a meal, grab a cup of coffee, or hear more about the ministry. Many blessings in Christ Jesus! And again, Belated Happy Holidays!
Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!
Psalm 27:14
