Christmas.. the most wonderful time of the year!
Christmas… Christmas… and more Christmas. Wow. What an oppertunity Christmas provides for ministry here. Where to begin. First with the spiritual, then on with the events. This morning I went to English church, which I always enjoy so much, because well I actually understand the sermons! 😉 So this was the Christmas celebration, and the room was filled with literally people from every nation in the world. It was incredible. They had several traditonal nepalee dances and it was just an incredible way to worship in a new way and celebrate christmas. Several things struck me as I was listening to the pastor speak. He was talking about how the angels went to the shepherds, the lowest of the low to display the Glory of God. I can picture the shephards out keeping watch by their flock by night… I imagine it looked alot like nepal, when the glory of God came down to them… and proclaimed the good news for ALL men. How awesome that God chose to reveal his splendor the stinky, the uneducated, the ones who were outcast and slept with sheep! How awesome that God choses to reveal himself to me when I am a sinner, when I am full of pride, when I feel sorry for myself, or when I am selfish. Glory to God in the highest. And it stuck me that the angels proclaimed to the shepherds peace on earth to ALL men! At church there were people from kenya today, new zealand, america, india, nepal, korea, japan, all different countries in africa, canada, mexico.. God came to redeem all man! I was reminded as we focused on this glorious appearing to the shephards how one day the skies will part and another glorious appearing.. jesuh krist anuuncha (jesus will come) and EVERY knee, tounge, tribe and language will bow. MAHIMA!
ok.. so enough preaching. About the christmas play.. thank you so much for praying. I think it went really well. The most amazing thing was that most of the people that came were unbelievers. It was incredible to look at the audience and see all the faces wich had hindu tika (a red flower paste on their heads where they had worshipped their gods) where they had worshipped their gods before they came. God brought those people to see his story portrayed. Especially my discipleship group took it seriously about inviting non christians, so I was really proud of them! So the play went really smoothly, except at the beginning. We started the play from adam and eve disobeying God since these people don’t have a christian background.. so we had a little fake garden made up of chili pepper trees in a pot.. well this little girl ran out of the audience, and some how got stuck in the thorns of the chilli pepper tree just as Eve was about to eat the apple. I could not help but laugh my head off! About 150 people came, and all our cookies were eaten. I am trying to post pictures.. so hopefull.
So then the next day was filled with christmas shopping, and then staying up wrapping gifts for the orphans until 2 am. I was laughing thinking about how last year i was wrapping presents (not very well either) at a gift shop in athens tn wondering how God was going to use that. Well.. it sure came in handy last night as we wrapped 63 gifts for our orphans. IT was so much fun picking wich presents would go to who. Thanks to a generous donation from Denise Nelson’s workplace (thank you so much) we were able to give the oprhans many gifts. Then tonight we went and had dinner wtih them, danced with them and gave them their gifts. It was precious to see the joy in their faces, even over just a notebook and pencils. I had tears in my eyes, because I remember all the times I had lovingly packed those shoeboxes at christmas for children in third world countires and prayed and imagined the joy on their faces as they opened them. Guess what. God has now given me the kindof life where I got to watch this before my eyes. What a glorious God we serve!
ok.. ps.. sorry i keep trying but it will not let me post more then one picture.. so i will have to do it on another day
Jenn,
I can hardly type this message because of all the tears in my eyes. I’ve always wished I could see the child that opened the shoe box full of gifts that I’ve sent to some third-world country. What a privilege to give love and hope to children who might otherwise be forgotten at Christmas. It’s just like what you said about God revealing Himself to the outcasts of society on the night Jesus was born. Now He is revealing Himself and His love through you to children that society might classify as unimportant. Mahima!
I’m so happy that God is blessing you with such a special Christmas, and I’m thrilled to hear that the play went so well.
Love you bunches,
Sandra
Jenn,
That is one of the best pics I’ve seen! Thanks for posting. What an awesome reminder that whosoever believes in Jesus as the one and only is welcome! You just put every extreme calvinist to shame. wink* Glory how big and Great is God! I am sure the play was great! God’s word never returns void, it will always fullfill it’s purpose.
I plan on writing you today, mom is sick with the same stuff I had so we could not get to church. I love you, and I’m proud of you!
Btw did you happen to notice you and Michelle I think used the same blog title? I think it is that twin esp thing.
Hey Jenn,
this is hannah, the girl who e-mailed you awhile back and is, if everything works out, coming to nepal. ok so now that you know who i am… : )
I’ve been reading your blog and finaly figured i would say hi!
You have been in my prayers ever since I heard of you! It sounds amazing there and it is amazing to see everything God has been doing!
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
your sister in Christ,
Hannah
IT IS 5AM IN NEPAL ON CHRISTMAS DAY AND IT IS 6:30PM HERE ON CHRISTMAS EVE. I WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE A DAY FILLED WITH GOD’S LOVE AND PEACE IN YOUR HEART. GOD BLESS YOU TODAY. LOVE, MOMMA ELLIS