Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Newsletter December 9, 2008

Merry Christmas everyone! December snuck up on us and we are in the middle of the busy ministry season here!

Last weekend, we had the very first English Circle Christmas party and it was incredible. I will share lots of pictures at the end of this post, but right now just want to ask you to join us in praising God for what he is doing through this ministry. Just a re-cap, about two years ago a friend and I decided we wanted our kids to have something like Sunday School in English. We go to seperate churches so we decided to meet up on Saturdays and do some fun English learning things, and have a Bible story time. My friend began to invite other friends with little children and before you know it, we had an amazing new outreach. Almost everyone attending with their children had never been to church! The group grew and grew until we couldn't fit everyone in our houses, and so we moved to a local meeting place for children's activities and it grew even MORE! Now on average about 15 children meet with us twice a month for what we call English Circle. In addition to those 15 children, we have the moms and even quite a few dads attending regularly with baby siblings in tow as well! It can get crazy when 15 children for class means about 30-40 people are actually in the room!

On Saturday we met at my friend's church for a two hour Christmas event! We played Christmas games, sang songs, had the Christmas story on felt board, made a Christmas craft, Rocky and I gave a mini-concert and we ended with a pot luck lunch! It was so much fun. After the party, one mother told me it was the first time for her and her children to hear the real Christmas story! I am sure she isn't the only one in attendance that day who'd never heard the Christmas story! I was so humbled and awed that God is using our little English Circle in such a way. He is doing awesome things!

Please lift up these families in prayer, that they would be open to know more about God. We are in the process of trying to figure out when would be the best mid-week time to have a mother's Bible study with these ladies who are mostly housewives. Praise God that the dads are attending too, and pray we can find a way to continue to reach out to them and get them into God's Word somehow!

We have several Christmas concerts and parties in the coming weeks before Christmas as well. We appreciate your prayers for safe travel and protection from illness, as well as prayers that God would continue to work in and through us!

Enjoy the Christmas party pictures and let us hear from you! Leave a comment or send email!!!

Preperations begin!


My trusty assistants!


Life-sized Christmas Candyland waiting for the "game pieces" to arrive!


Playing with ABC's while everyone arrives and gets checked in.


Here is an example of a little family attending, Dad included!


Christmas Bingo!


Candyland in progress...


Pin the ornament on the Christmas tree...


Where is the Christmas tree?


OH! That's close!


You can't peak first!


Telling the Christmas story, I speak in English and Rocky translates! Not sure what I was saying here, but my facial expressions were hilarious in these pictures!


Ahhhh, no room for them in the inn!


A baby boy is born!


A multitude of Angels appeared!


Craft time! Buidling an Angel takes the whole family!


Showing off OUR multitude of Angels!


Aren't they sooooooo cute!


Lunch was soooooooo yummy!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Marla,
I've been meaning to tell you since summer how much I love your haircut. And in these pics you look so pretty! The up-do is exquisite.
I look at the girl's pics from their visit, and pray for all of you as I smile.
What a wonderful outreach ministry you have with these families! I will pray that God will open many hearts:) You take good care of our dear friend this January - and make sure she comes back OK? Promise! Love,
Mary Ann

Marla said...

Mary Ann! Thank you so much for the sweet compliment about my hair. When I chopped it off, it was a little shocking and it took me a while to get used to it. It is "growing on me" now (lol, no pun intended)! We appreciate your prayers and are so looking forward to January. I'll TRY to send her back!!! Love and blessings!