Merry Christmas!

It's hard to believe this month of December has already come and almost gone. It signals the halfway point of our journey, yet we still have 10 exciting weeks ahead of us. A lot has been happening this month, and God has really shown himself to us in remarkable ways.

Roxanna and I have had the entire month off, since school is out for the month. The break has been nice and we really needed it after all the planning and work that went into last term. During our time off we've been helping the office and school establish master lists of the students so we can better track them and attend to their needs both at home and at school. As we get further into the process of what it takes to run a school, I become a little overwhelmed, but am even more overwhelmed by the six teachers at the school, who handle all of the work on their own. They are incredible and dedicated people.

Spending Christmas in Zambia was challenging, as weeks prior to Christmas I found myself thinking about home quite often and wishing I could just be home for a few weeks. It has been difficult, and nothing short of it at times, but I'm thankful for international calling cards that keep me connected with family and friends at home, being able to share this Christmas with them through that. I have really enjoyed spending this Christmas with my new Zambian family though, and to know that this is where God wants me. It's been great to engage in the Zambian's traditions of the holiday while being able to share my own. The commercialization of the holiday isn't apparent here like it is at home, which has really expanded and stretched my understanding of Christmas and how we celebrate it.

Christmas time is different in Zambia for several reason....

1. The only place Christmas really looked apparent was in the supermarket and various other shops where decorations were hung
2. We didn't have a Christmas tree or other decorations hung in our house 3. I didn't really hear a lot of Christmas music, besides the Christmas CD mix I made for my brother Marvin, which I won't lie, is pretty awesome
4. There is no snow!!! I wear sandals, capris, and t-shirts everyday, which is definitely different than at home
5. We didn't have a large assortment of Christmas cookies or really many Christmas parties
6. The cartoon version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was not on the television Christmas Eve...

Those are only a few differences and since I didn't have a constant visual reminder of Christmas time, I was encouraged to look to other places to celebrate and partake in the holiday season, like Sunday school. Roxanna and I took two Sundays to teach the Christmas story to the children. We introduced them to Mary and Joseph and who they were. They were young people, who didn't possess much power and weren't termed "special" by this world, and really didn't seem worthy to be the chosen ones to bring the Messiah into the world. Yet because of their faithfulness to God, he chose them for this very purpose. It was because of their faith that they were chosen for such a special purpose. Faith in the Christmas story doesn't end there though. The shepherds and the wisemen also portray what faith means. The angels appeard to the shepherds bringing them the good news of Jesus' birth, and instead of being too afraid to act on the news that they brought, the shepherds acted on their faith and went to find the baby Jesus and rejoiced in his birth. The same goes for the wisemen. King Herod wanted them to return to him to tell him where they found the Messiah, but God told the wisemen not to. The wisemen acted on their faith in God by not returning to King Herod. This Christmas I was really able to focus and reflect on this story, this story that allows us to have a Christmas. It's not because of the commercialization of the holiday that allows us to celebrate Christmas, but it's because of the faith of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wisemen, who allowed the story of Jesus' birth to be told. We now can rejoice at his coming because God brought him so we could be reconciled with him.

I hope that during this Christmas season you have been able to experience the true greatness and faithfulness of God apart from the craziness of the holidays, and the peace he brought into this world at this time!

God's Blessings on this Holiday Season!
Amanda

Tom's Top 10

Ok, so I only have 9 minutes until the internet cafe closes so instead of writing a novel, I'll just have to settle for Tom's Top 10 Learning Experiences in the Last Month!

Here they are!

#10. You can get blisters on your hands when washing your socks.
#9. You can drip massive amounts of sweat from your brow...while washing your socks.
#8. A rusty nail can and will penetrate your shoe and foot if you step on it...
#7. If your foot is bleeding a lot, apply pressure and raise it above your heart.
#6. Mangos and apples are really good! (Doctors don't know everything...)
#5. Don't be distracted by people standing up and yelling "Amen!" while you're preaching.
#4. Don't go outside to watch the lightning! (I didn't get struck too bad...I'm kidding mom!)
#3. Don't smart off to immigration officers...
#2. If you get pulled over while driving, just keep your mouth shut and remain calm...

And the #1 Learning Experience for Tom in the last month is....





#1. I drank the water...and I was fine!


Hope you're all doing great!!! We love you all! Keep in touch!!

Peace,
Tom