Thank You Africa!

Fatu on her birthday eating her dinner of choice...Ethiopian!!!

Well, as most of you already know, WE ARE HOME FROM AFRICA!! We came home April 1st and I'm just now finding some time to post! Ahhhh!! It's been quite an adjustment to come home to the fast pace life of America. I definitely slipped into the simple and slow way of life in Africa because now that I'm back, I find myself spinning in circles. Just today I found myself staring at the walls wondering how I was going to tackle my way too long "to do" list. How is it possible? I thought I told myself that we wouldn't "do" full schedules again. I thought we'd keep the simple life and just say NO to busy-ness. It is hard to do, especially when you have such amazing friends and family that you want to see!!

I thought I would post some photos since we have thousands (yikes) as well as post blogs that I wrote while we were in Uganda but couldn't post due to lack of electricity and various other interesting things.

THANK YOU AFRICA...

For opening my eyes to a glorious world that has been buried in distraction.
For teaching me PATIENCE.
For teaching me how to have a grateful heart.
For accepting me despite my ignorance, pride, and selfish-ness.

For helping me experience the PEACE that surpasses understanding.
For showing me what it really means to give.
For teaching me about reducing, reusing, and recycling.

For living in JOY.
For sharing your land, your lives, and your hearts with us.
For sleepless nights.

For stirring my heart and challenging my mind.
For helping me to see God’s beautiful creation with new eyes and appreciation.
For giving God the greatest praise.
For hands that hold HOPE.
For not keeping silent.

For teaching me about an eternal truth…LOVE,
loving God and loving one another!

Boda boda style...papa and Fatu

Sunday school Football!! The boys from down the street came over as often as they could to play with F and O and a real soccer ball!! We played games, sucked down mangoes, and laughed a lot!! Jeff coined these times as "Katie's kid's club" Fatu peeking out of the bus window at the yummy ground nuts for sale

God's Will Ladies Choice store!! oh, yeah!!

You will be encouraged today!!

YOU WILL BE ENCOURAGED TODAY!!!

I know a pretty bold statement to make...but I promise you that by the time you read this post, you WILL BE ENCOURAGED. Many of you may be feeling hopeless today, feeling all alone in this world with no one listening. Or you may be having a day where you are questioning God’s faithfulness and goodness. You might be in a seemingly impossible situation and feeling ready to give up. You may be feeling despair, pain, and suffering. You may be wondering, “Why on earth would God lead me down this path?” You may be wondering if your prayers will ever be answered. Your heart may be heavy with grief. Your faith may be weak. Your trust in your Heavenly Father waning. I have been in all of these places at some point in my walk with Jesus. I have wrestled with fear, I have cried too many tears, and I have doubted my Father. I have questioned His goodness. I have. To say I haven’t would be a lie.  

BUT, despite myself, despite all of my feelings or all of my outlooks on situations and life, GOD HAS NEVER LET ME DOWN. HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN FAITHFUL!! Maybe not in the way I imagined, dreamed or hoped but in HIS way, which is always the best way. Now I have to say that I am writing this while in one of those places where tears flood my eyes minute by minute and day by day!! I am not speaking of tears of pain, but tears of JOY! Tears from beholding the beautiful mystery of our God, while crying out “HOW GOD?” “HOW ARE YOU SO FAITHFUL? “YOU BLOW ME AWAY GOD!!” “YOU ASTOUND ME!”    ...YOU BRING ME TO TEARS, TO HUMILITY, TO YOUR THRONE ROOM LOST FOR WORDS FOR YOUR BOUNDLESS GOODNESS!!

"For I know the plans I have for you, plans for hope and a future."  
"Do not fear"
 "I do not leave you as orphans"
These aren’t just words. These are promises. This is truth. This is the way, heart, will and mind of our God. This is the reality we can live in.

Okay, please keep reading… I promise you it won’t disappoint!!
Do you remember our African Christmas? READ HERE if not. I will give you synapses of our Christmas. We decided to go to Mulago Hospital on Christmas Day and love on the children and families in the children’s ward. We did just that and while we were roaming the halls we were directed to a little boy in a crib. There he sat, lost, scared, confused, malnourished, sad and abandoned. 

We later found out that the hospital staff called him Uwalu (oo wa lu), I don't think this was his real name. Well, our hearts broke. We cried out to God that day as a family. Fatu and Osobie held his hand and peered at him in the crib. We spent time with him praying silently for God’s mercy and love to shower him. We left knowing we’d be back to see him the next day. Our hearts were heavy. We walked home from Mulago hospital talking with Fatu and Osobie about the boy. We talked and prayed for a mama and papa for him. We even talked to Jesus about whether or not he was to be in our family. Osobie cried that day as we left him. They knew ‘that’ pain. They had lived in it before. I am sure they were reminded of their time in the orphanage. The next day we went back to see Uwalu and dressed him in one of Osobie’s shirts. We gave him car toys and candy, hoping he would feel loved. We left Kampala and left Uwala in Mulago. We prayed and prayed to know if he was to be in our family, and we felt somehow, that that was not the plan for his life. Our hearts remained heavy but also at peace and our thoughts and prayers continued for Uwalu for weeks and months.

Now I have to admit to you all that after spending some time in Africa and visiting many orphanages my heart has ached much too much. There are days that I am completely overwhelmed at the needs of Africa. The numbers of lost, abandoned, poor, forgotten, and orphaned children is countless. Their faces run through my mind all day long and even invade my dreams. There are days where I cry out to God asking Him where he is? Has he forgotten them? Who will care for them? Why God? Why must they suffer? There are times when I am hopeless. There are times that my tears just run dry. BUT the truth is GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN. HE HAS NOT LEFT THEM AS ORPHANS. He aches more than we do for the orphans of Africa. His heart longs for them to be LOVED! He loves them! And asks us to join Him in loving them! Even when we fail, and we are unfaithful, He hasn’t and isn’t.

Back to the story….Across the thousands of miles and vast seas was a family praying. There was a family waiting for a son from Uganda. On Christmas day there was a mother aching for her Ugandan son who was somewhere out there waiting to be matched with their family. On Christmas day there was a family wondering where their little brother and son was living and how he was spending his Christmas. There was a mom praying hard for her “son” to be LOVED that Christmas!! She prayed that LOVE would find him and care for him wherever he may be!!

I got an email a few weeks ago from a woman named Sheila. She had googled “Mulago Hospital” and found our blog post from Christmas. Maybe 5 weeks after Christmas, the McDaniel’s accepted a little boy for fostering/adoption. They knew his name was going to be Elijah and low and behold, there in the baby home lie their son, with the name given to him by the staff, Elijah!! He was abandoned mid December at Mulago Hospital and taken to a baby home! After several emails and photos later, it was confirmed…UWALU…the boy…..WAS TO BE THEIR SON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have had tears streaming down my face for the last few weeks!!
I AM OVERWHELMED BY GOD’S GOODNESS AND FAITHFULNESS!! I CANNOT EVEN WRAP MY HEART AND MIND AROUND IT!! HE IS TOO WONDERFUL FOR COMPREHENSION, WHO CAN GRASP HIS INFINITE WISDOM…. 

God brought her son the LOVE she had prayed for her son through a family of strangers that Christmas!!   GOD KNEW. God knew the plans he had for Uwalu /Elijah. He knew the family that he would be adopted into. He cared for his son. Sheila’s and her families’ prayers and our prayers have been answered in the most miraculous way!! Look at him now!!

Never in a million years would I have ever thought we’d know what happened to Uwalu. We had no way of ever knowing what his life would turn out like. Would he be adopted God? Is he going to know the love of a mama and papa? Or is he going to spend his days in a baby home and then an orphanage, alone, and unloved?

BUT GOD KNEW!! GOD HAD A PLAN!!! GOD HAD A MAMA AND PAPA PICKED OUT JUST FOR HIM!!!  HE WILL NOT LEAVE US OR FORSAKE US!

Check out their blog and pray for them as they are still waiting to bring him home....HERE

Share the love!!!

As many of you know, Jeff and I have been working with Bethesda International for almost 5 years now! Before I continue, I also want to say THANK YOU for all of you who have supported Ruth, Bethesda, and sponsered kids over the years!! MOST OF YOU who know us, know Bethesda. And MANY of you have already given to Bethesda in times past!! THANK YOU!!!!THIS POST IS QUITE URGENT & SERIOUS this is why we are asking again for

HELP FOR BETHESDA/ RAPHA SCHOOL!!!

We met Ruth, the founder, in 2003 and our hearts were stirred that very day for Africa. We were so impacted by the love and care that Bethesda was giving to the orphaned and vulnerable children of Uganda. They established foster families where the children were cared for by aunties, uncles, papa's and mama's. The children were confident, proud of their families, and full of love!!Never before had we seen such joy in an "orphanage", but that's because Ruth didn't found an orphanage, she established a community. Ruth's desire was for the children to raised in a traditional "African" way which is within a family. This is how Africa has always been but due to poverty, AIDS, and war, families have been broken leaving thousands of children to fend for themselves.

Bethesda has been serving children for over 11 years now, and despite the fact that Ruth Muga, the founder died unexpectantly, they continue in their service to children providing education, medical care, spiritual discipleship, and love. Unfortunately, in the last 2 years Bethesda International has suffered from a loss of support due to constraints on their donors in the States and elsewhere. When Ruth passed away in the fall of 2008, even more of their support had been cutoff leaving them in a financial crisis. They have 357 children in their care from nursery to University level, and all of them are suffering due to lack of money for school fees and basic needs.
They are faced with an immense challenge of paying for hundreds of children's school fees for the next term as well as paying the current debts and feeding all the kids!! They also have over 200 children attending their Rapha community school with 55 of the kids being in foster care at Rapha and in need of food. On top of this, the teachers at Rapha have gone without salary for the last 5 months. SO.....those of us partnered with Bethesda/Rapha School, (HopeChest being one of org. partnered with them) are running an emergency fundraiser! We need to raise about $18,000 to cover all the costs of school fees next term, food, care, medical care and long overdue debts!! These children will not return to school next term unless something is done!

They are in a real crisis !

The Bethesda children need us to...

SHARE THE LOVE!!!!

How many of us have received the LOVE from a friend, family member, NGO, or employer when we really needed it? It may not have been financial love but I am sure we've all been blessed by someone at some point in our lives beyond our expectations. I know I have, many times and all we can do in return is SHARE THE LOVE!! This time with children in Bethesda International/RAPHA SCHOOL that need us to stand with them during this difficult time of transition and financial hardship. Join us this week and send others to my blog or Tom Davis's Blog or my friend Brandies blog as we try to spread the word and share the financial love with our Ugandan friends!!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO RESCUE FOR RAPHA

Our first visitor!!!!

We were so thrilled to have our friend Stacie come for a visit a few weeks ago. It was such a gift to be showered with love from her and all the others who sent us some lovin’ through Stacie! She gave us some good hugs from everyone back home and we needed it!! She’s a very talented woman with a hearts desire to serve Bethesda International by documenting their work here in Uganda. She graduated from University with a focus on filming/editing. She was here for 2 weeks and her camera became a third arm!! There was not a dull moment!! We spent 1 week in Jinja filming Bethesda’s work of orphan care and community development, then we spent about a week in Arua with a trip to Murchison Falls Nat'l Park and a trip to Gulu to visit Invisible Children's headquarters. We had a fabulous time and wanted to kidnap Stacie for a few more weeks! Here's some photos from our time together...enjoy :)
Our night watchman's(George) mother. Wow!! What a beautiful African mama! I asked her how old she was and she didn't know. We went to visit George's village and met many of his family members and villagers. His mom came out of the hut to greet us and an hour later, as we were leaving she appeared out of her hut dressed to the tee!! She was waiting for me to take her photo in her "smart" clothes, as they call it here.

Roasted white ants for sale on the road. They really wanted us to buy them. I opted for some oranges and ended up getting smacked in the face by an orange by the lady that was selling them!! I gave her 500 schillings and grabbed 2 oranges but she didn't have change so she threw 3 more oranges in the car as we were driving away! I got a fat lip...how funny eh??
Stacie shooting some African wild life!!

Yes,...that reads, Grilled Gizzards! Hmmm..sounds tasty!

Our visit to Invisible Children was amazing!! They are truly making a difference in the lives of the children of Gulu. We were able to tour several of the schools they are helping to rebuild as well as their upcoming "bag project". It's sure to be a hit!! We were so blessed to meet Vanessa, the girl in charge of the "bag project", who toured us around for a day to see the sites. We were also surprised to see Loveland Highschool's name (a school in Colorado) etched on a plaque on one of the newly rebuilt science labs. They were one of the top fundraisers of that project!!

Sugar cane!!! Fresh off the side of the road and into our bellies!! A bit messy though. Kids from our friend Fred's village! We had a fun time of chasing each other and dancing together to a little tune called "Africa" by Toto. Thanks Stacie...or should I say thanks Jeff Shoemaker, the songs been stuck in my head since you left!

Stacie's teaching Osobie how to to shoot a mean scene!!

The great White Hunter!! Jeff thinks they were hippo bones??

Supportin' Sudan!!

Our landlord’s son is an athlete. He had hoped to one day qualify for the Olympics in running. He ran with some of the best Kenyan runners and worked with Right To Play, an NGO here in Uganda. Although his dreams of making it to the Olympics were not fulfilled, he continues to pursue his passion, athletics. When he was working with RTP, he traveled into the refugee camps in Sudan to bring “the right to play” to the refugee kids. Some of those boys caught his eye with their talent for soccer and so Chris took it upon himself to find a way to get these boys to Uganda. He managed to get them a sponsorship to come receive education in Uganda; that was several years ago. The boys are grown now and still schooling here in Uganda while their family remains in Sudan. Last year Chris and a few of the older Sudanese boys formed the first official Sudanese soccer team in Uganda! The team is called Gatong, which means “hero” or "stay and fight". They are registered as an official team here in the Arua, Uganda district and have been playing matches for many months. They will continue to compete in hopes of winning placement in the upper division called the Super League. My hope is that this Sudan team wins every match all the way to the national championship which would qualify them to play in World Cup qualifiers. The vision and plan for this team is that once Sudan becomes a safer place, the Gatong team will in fact go back to Sudan and merge with the other Sudanese guys that are playing soccer in Sudan. Chris feels that the Sudanese should be able to compete in soccer just like the rest of the African countries regardless of instability. They should have a chance! Even if it means playing in Uganda until Sudan is at peace.

Chris has become one of our friends and we have begun to pray for him and his heart for the Sudan boys. He longs for kids to channel their time and extra energy in healthy ways like getting involved in sports. We support him in this as we know and see how quickly teens can get swept away into drinking, drugs, and laziness. We helped pay for some of the fees that were required to register them as an official team here in Uganda. You would be surprised at how expensive things can get especially when none of these boys have a means to support themselves, let alone pay for soccer fees. Soccer teams are required to have 2 sets of uniforms - one color for home games and one for away. They managed to gather enough support to purchase one set of uniforms but have not been able to get the 2nd set. They are the only team that does not currently have a 2nd set. Luckily, the other teams have always been gracious and changed their colors when needed. Now I get to do some bragging about our wonderful small group back home in Fort Collins Colorado, called Bridestone!! I shared with them about the Sudan soccer team we were getting to know and about their need for uniforms. For $100 bucks we could supply the team with a set of brand new uniforms!! Every week Bridestone gathers their extra bucks and collects it for the simple purpose of giving it away as God leads. After sharing about the team they all decided they wanted to buy them their uniforms!! What a fun thing to be a part of eh? Most of the Sudan boys have lived through fighting, have lost their homes and have scars on their legs to prove it. Now, they are receiving an education in Uganda and are an official soccer team doing what they love,… to play soccer!!

THANKS BRIDESTONE FOR YOUR GENEROUS HEARTS
& FOR LISTENING TO JESUS!!

Abandoned but not forgotten

(Our little foam nativity set, Joseph & Mary !! Tks mom!!)

It's true. George was right. EVERYONE eats meat on Christmas, I witnessed it on Christmas day. Our Christmas was unusual, but not in a negative way. The air wasn't filled with carols on the radio, snow wasn't falling, decorations were lacking, no candy cane fences and if you didn't remind yourself that it was Christmas, one could easily look around and think it was just another day in Africa. People selling their goods on the streets. Boda boda drivers zipping by trying to earn a little extra cash. There wasn't any traffic ,which is definitely a sure sign that it was a holiday. I guess I never realized how much all the 'fluff' of Christmas could almost become Christmas. When you strip it all away, what you have left is Jesus. This year we found our Christmas to be one of fellowship within our little family and our Savior. Simply that. No Honey Baked ham, no blinking lights (I did miss the glow of white lights & Starbucks eggnog lattes) , no gifts (except our handmade ones), and no Christmas tree. And although our hearts ached from missing the ones we love SO MUCH back home...It was still a memorable day!!


After some thought and discussion, we decided we would cruise over to Mulago Hospital and see if we could visit the kids ward. In 2005, Jeff and I were in Uganda and hooked up with an old vineyard pastor who pastored a international church in Kampala. We just happened to visit the church a few days before Christmas and their outreach team was planning a visit to Mulago childrens ward to pass out gifts donated by Samaritan's Purse. We were invited to come along and it was a life changing experience! It was on this trip that Jeff and I met a little baby named Stella who had been abandoned and left to die in the hospital suffering from AIDS. We spent a good hour with this little girl, who was nothing but skin and bones. She reached out and wrapped her hand around my finger and we fell in love. The nurses told us she wouldn't live as she had stopped eating. Our hearts broke and in that moment God watered the seed of adoption that was planted in our hearts. At that time Jeff and I had looked into adoptionn in Uganda and met with a social worker who told us we would have to live in Uganda for 3 years and foster a child before we could officially adopt. Still to this day we talk about Stella and how she impacted our lives. So, we thought what better way to spend this Christmas than with the kiddos in the same ward of the hospital. Osobie and Fatu picked out some toys they brought from Arua to give to the kids and we bought a couple bags of sweets. We didn't have much but with what we had we thought we could brighten someones day. We got to Mulago and had to do a little maneuvering to be able to get in to see the kids but once we got the O.K. we were in! We prayed and asked God to show O and F which child they should give their toys to. Osobie found this little guy curled up in the small crib and handed him one of his matchbox cars. The boy beamed a glorious smile! Soon enough, Osobie and his friend were racing their cars down the ramp into the childrens ward. What a precious moment!!




I could tell Fatu was feeling a little uncomfortable because of all the crying kids, but she was brave and gave her Polly pocket to a little girl that was in pain in hopes she'd stop crying, she didn't as you can see by the photo.



As we shuffled through the ward, we made our way to the exact area where we had found Stella, 4 years ago. There in a crib sat a little boy, skinny, dirty, sitting in his own excrement. I turned to the nurses to ask his condition, and with a solemn face, she answered "he's abandoned". I guess I should have known that we'd once again find a lost and forgotten child and of course the heartbreak that comes with this. There he sat, alone, scared, confused, and sad. We prayed over him and held back tears. Then, more piercing words fell on our ears, "there are more". Sure enough, 2 more kids were abandoned by their moms that month. One was a baby named Joshua who was being cared for by another mom who was getting treatment for her son. All of these abandoned children will have to go through the system of the hospital and then be transferred to any baby home that would take them. Fortunately in Kampala, there is a baby home called Watoto Bilrushes baby home where a precious American woman works and cares for many of these little ones. We met her while we were in Kampala and plan to visit the home next time we are in Kampala. There are 2-3 other baby homes in Kampala where the children can be taken. Some of the homes try to get the kids fostered by Ugandans and foreigners, but many kids grow up never knowing the love of a mama or papa. They are raised by older girls and boys, street kids, or overlooked and ignored at orphanages.



As we held babies, and played with the kids the nurse aids came in with lunch. The little boy, Uwalu (oowalu) dug his little fingers in his food and tasted all the options that were on his plate. He grabbed a brown heap of mushy stuff, tasted it and put it back on his plate. I was shocked that he wouldn't eat everything on his plate even if it was mushy beans, seeing as he was severely malnourished. But, to my surprise, the bit of brown stuff was actually chicken!! It wasn't that he didn't like it, he tasted it, realized it was chicken and saved it on his plate to be eaten last! Sure enough, EVERYONE, the least of these, the poorest, the forgotten, and abandoned eat meat on Christmas. Thank you Jesus that you care for us!! "Though my Father and mother forsake me, the Lord will recieve me" ps 27:10 YOU NEVER FORSAKE US!! "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" Heb. 13:5 He does not leave us as orphans. He loves us and watches over us, sometimes through strangers, neighbors, and hospital workers. He's inviting us all to be His love, his care, his touch to the lost and lonely of the world. Every day, He's inviting you and inviting me into this extravagant display of love. Every day we have a choice to make. We have to choose how we'll live our lives, how we'll spend our time, what we'll invest in, what we'll care about, and how we'll act if we act. I don't know about you, but I've already wasted many years worrying about things that are worthless, unimportant and self serving. I don't want to waste another day!!

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Eph 5:1-2

We visited Uwalu the next day. I held him in my arms as he laid as still as a doll and I wondered how long it had been since he felt the warm embrace of mama's arms. We brought him some clothes, toys, and more candy. In the grand scheme it wasn't much and even offering it felt so shallow, so meaningless..., but we had hoped he'd at least feel he was loved that day by His heavenly Father. He desires every child to know His love and be loved, and the truth is, there are too many who have experienced neither. But we can change that...we can...because the One who is inviting us is more than able.

African Christmas

Baby Jesus in the manger at our Sunday school.

My mom emailed me the other day and asked, “Are there any African traditions for Christmas?” I wondered that too…are there any? Really, Christmas came with the missionaries along with Christianity, and was reinforced probably through colonialism. There are no “tribal African Christmas traditions” per say, well none that I have seen. They put a “tree” in their house and decorate it just like us. Sometimes it’s more like a branch. I think the type of tree they use is a fir tree. They decorate with paper, balloons, tinsel, plastic trinkets and anything they have. The “tree” is definitely not “African”. I have to admit to being pretty disappointed after I asked many Ugandans about African Christmas traditions, and found that they really didn’t have any. Somewhere in my daydreaming of Africa I imagined that there were special dances, drumming, secret games, and ceremonies for the Christmas season. There very well may be some deep in the bush somewhere, or in certain households, but I haven’t found any. But, what I did find out about African Christmas traditions is even better than anything I imagined.

As I sat under the light of the moon the other night I started to chat with our night watchman, George. George worked at the hotel where Jeff and I stayed in 2005. Upon arriving in September this year, Jeff was taking a boda boda (motorcycle taxi) to town quite often. On one of his trips, the boda driver looked up at Jeff and said, “I know you sir, from long ago”. Sure enough they pieced it together that this man was in fact George, the night watchman from the hotel. We had really enjoyed conversations with George and his company at the hotel. He and Jeff talked at length about hunting, life, African culture and other guy stuff. Jeff trapped huge rats around town called the Gambian Pouch rat for George so he could eat them. George insisted that they tasted just like chicken! I could never get myself to try. Once Jeff reconnected with George, we decided to hire him as our night watch man for our 6 months here.

As George and I talked, I asked him about Christmas. He pondered the question about African traditions. What he said fell on my heart like a warm blanket. Well, at Christmas, what I remember is everyone being together. Aunties, uncles, cousins, kids home from boarding school and the house being full. We all went to church and for prayers. Late into the night there was singing and prayers. It was also a time where everyone got something new. I remember getting new clothe-es, a new shirt maybe or a new pair of pants. The girls would get a new dress for Christmas. Everyone got something “new”.” All year the parents saved their shillings for a piece of new clothing. But of course many times the ‘new’ clothing is actually used clothing that you find in the markets here in town. The ‘new’ used clothes could very well have been yours! Places like Goodwill ship palates of used clothing to Africa after they have tried their shot at selling them. I’m sure everyone has made a trip to Goodwill or Savers sometime in their life if not every year as we restock our closets with the latest fashions. Well, all of our discards, all of our trash become treasures here in Africa. And to think most kids nowadays are totally bummed when they get new clothes, unless of course they are teenagers. I was one of those kids when I was young. Getting clothes was about the same as getting a piece of coal in your stocking!!

God has given us the best gift of all...Jesus

George continued, "Then, everyone eats meat at Christmas! It’s the biggest celebration and everyone gets to eat meat on Christmas. Goat, chicken, or beef, some kind of meat” Everyone? I questioned. Everyone? No, not everyone George. How could everyone afford meat George? What about the poorest of the poor George? George exclaimed, “EVERYONE MAMA KT, EVERYONE. Those that cannot afford to buy meat are invited to eat with their neighbors. Everyone will eat meat mama KT. The village will divide all their meat so that not one will go without." A flood of tears welled up in my eyes. I sat in silence as the thought and picture of this buried itself deep in my spirit. How’s that for an African Christmas tradition.

The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel which means, God with us. Matt 1:23

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. In the town of David a savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!