December 6, 1999

We got our Christmas tree up here over the weekend. It was in the attic. It's about 2 or 3 feet tall. I put on the few ornaments that I had. Rebekah was over at the house of a family that we know and they asked if we had things for Christmas and gave us a bunch of little things like ornaments and a wreath for the door and a garland for the chimney. And Sue next door has a stocking that I can use, so I feel really blessed to be able to decorate the house.

December 15, 1999

The Christmas chapel is done! Yeah! That was my last big hurdle before Christmas vacation. The service went quite well, despite my nervousness beforehand. There were so many unknown things that it would have been easy to have decided earlier, like what order we were going in and where the classes were going to sit - but that flexibility is all part of being a missionary. I'm sure I'll never be good at it, but I do my best to not be frustrated.

In the Christmas chapel service each class did a skit or a song. I'm glad that I didn't have to put it all together, but I still am doing quite a bit - leading the 1st graders, playing piano for the 3rd and 6th graders, and leading my recorder group in 4 christmas carols. I have a group of about 10 kids that has been coming in twice a week during lunch recess to learn the carols - they've done a lot of hard work.

This certainly is the wet part of wet season around here, it rains every day. We hosted a bon voyage party on Saturday and were hoping to use the grill in the back yard, but it was raining. So we did the meat on the broiler in the oven and made the best of it. We also made a nice fire in the fireplace. There were 4 people that we were saying goodbye to and they each gave a little speech about how they were called here and what they are going to do now, then we prayed for them. We also had a fun praise time with my friend Christoph from Switzerland leading on the ukelele.

December 24, 1999

Here in Ukarumpa I'm involved in quite a few music things for Christmas. We're doing a cantata on Christmas Eve. Someone else is doing the adult choir and I am doing a children's choir and a trumpet group.

December 27, 1999

I had a very nice Christmas. Rebekah and I got up early and looked in our stockings. We went to church. Then there were quite a few singles who gathered at Grace Fabian's house. She has a daughter about our age so she enjoys having us over. It was amazing how green everything was and how nice and warm and sunny when it is winter back home.