Our kids are amazing!
They did it again; they blew me away with their talent during their performance of this year's Christmas pageant for the parents on December 15. I enjoyed helping direct the Christmas skit part of the program, even if it meant an extra headache or two trying to help seven emotional adolescent girls learn their roles and get along with each other in the process.
For the month of December (and half of November) we turned our weekly “Wonderful Princess Group” into a drama club. The girls opened the evening with a skit about what Christmas is all about. Then some of the younger kids join in as shepherds, angels and magi as one of the girls read aloud from the Bible. Following the skit, Joel and I played a violin/guitar/voice duet of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” as a filler during costume changes. Then we finished off with songs and solos and poems that all thirty kids have been diligently practicing for the last few weeks. What a delight to see them all at their best, singing with all their hearts!
Another highlight of this week was seeing the sun again after two weeks straight of fog and gray skies. I no longer doubt the powerful affect of the sunlight on everyone's general sense of well-being. Praise God for the sun in December!
This year will be the first Christmas for my two-month-old niece, Kayley Sofia Simons. It's hard to be apart from my family for Christmas, and I'm especially feeling the distance this year with the new addition to our family. I know it's hard for my them as well, so do keep them in your prayers.
Also, about two years ago I asked you to pray for Ruth Morgan, wife to Dave Morgan who pastors the growing church that my parents are part of in New Hampshire. She battled an aggressive cancer for over three years, and in November she passed away. Please pray for the Morgan family and for my parents and their church family at First Congregational Church in Ossipee as they walk through this time of grieving together.
During the same week in November, one of our boys and most faithful handy-man, Miu, lost his father. Though Miu's father was alcoholic and very ill, his death was very sudden and a shock for Miu and his family. Keep them in prayer as well.
I'll attach other prayer requests below.
Thanks for your faithful prayers and support! You are an important part of our life and ministry here in Galati. May God be near to you at the start of this New Year and may peace and mercy reign in your hearts.
In Christ,
Rachel
Praise and Prayer
1. Praise God for Valentin who did not return to the streets after finishing treatment for TB at a local hospital in September. He has been living at the state-run Center for Minors and attending school. Pray that God will work healing and restoration in his life and provide long-term housing for him.
2. Please pray for Moise who turned 21 in November and continues to be a prophetic voice in our community. Living with his biological family since September has been very difficult for Moise, and he's praying for a host family to live with. Pray that God will guide and protect Moise during this difficult time and continue to provide for his needs.
3. Pray for Bogdan who was admitted to the hospital in November for tests as he began to lose mobility in his legs. Pray that this illness will lead to healing and freedom from his addiction to drugs.
4. Continue to pray for Eleni and Florin and the Chiriac family who have taken them in. Pray that through this time of adjustment bonds of trust will grow. Pray for favor in the legal battle with the state authorities to accept Mrs. Chiriac as an official foster mother so that she will not have to continue working full-time outside the home.
5. Pray for clear direction and provision of property for a job creation project that we hope to
begin as soon as we find a piece of land and have sufficient funds to purchase it. For more details on this project read David's November letter www.
6. Pray for our Christmas celebrations together, including a pageant for the parents on December 15, two nights of Christmas caroling on December 22, 23 and our annual all-night Christmas party on December 25. This year we have 30 school children. It will be a full house!
7. Pray for the youth who will spend Christmas on the streets. Pray for our daily presence in Micro 19 to bring them hope and a desire for freedom from their chains of addiction. Pray for our Christmas celebration with them at the drop-in center on December 23.