Merry Christmas

I was just making out some Christmas cards for my friends here and thinking about you. I wish I could send cards to each and everyone of you, but that really isn't possible. You are, however in my thoughts and prayers.

I got a really cool Christmas tree from the Chinese store. It was a little expensive and very cheaply made, but I am enjoying it every evening when I turn the lights on. A couple of weeks ago I was having a pity party about the holiday season and just feeling sad missing everyone feeling alone and thinking there won't even be any presents under the tree. I was thinking no one even cares or remembers me here in Madagascar. But, the next day at Sunday service the preacher talked about how our reward is not here on earth, but in Heaven. The message really spoke to me and helped me get over myself. So I am planning a Christmas party for 12 children all under the age of 6 (yes I am crazy). I will get little gifts for them and put them under the tree. We will do a craft making paper bulbs for a paper tree, decorate a sugar cookie to take home and have punch and cookies. (Want to join us). I made the invitations today and will start giving them out tomorrow night at home group. I love kids so much I am blessed to have so many in my life here.

We will have a Christmas service in the morning and I have ask another girl if she would like to come over after church. She is Malagasy and her family lives in Mahajunga so she will be alone also. I hope she accepts.

I am sending my Christmas Blessings across the ocean to everyone I know and Love. If there is anyone I have missed in my mailing please share my Blessings to them for me.

Merry Christmas
Your Sister in Christ
Sandi

Children

Here are three of the seven children we have been able to help support through the gifts given to my ministry for children education.

The first one is the son of a widow. His mother is trying to support the family by making embroidery items and selling them. By my being able to assist with the school fees she was able to provide the necessary items for him to participate for the entire school year.

The second boy is the child of a single woman whose husband left and isn't supporting the family. She is able to provide education for her other children, however this little boy is deft and the only available school is a 4 hour bus ride from home and he would need to move to the school only returning for Christmas and major holidays. He is 7 years old and the report I received is that he is adapting well and learning. His was a special case where in addition to the school fees he needed everything to live away from home. The clothing is only washed once a month so he needed clothes to last a month at a time. He needed bedding, dishes, soap ect all to last 11 months. Combined with the help that was donated others including church members helped him get all the required items and start his school year completely supported.

The third girl is one from my neighborhood. I have personally been supporting her for 3 years now. With the added donations I was able to provide 2 sets of clothes, new shoes, underwear and all the supplies needed each year.

The forth and fifth children are from a place in the far north of Madagascar. This place is in much need of hearing the Gospel. Through the school that these 2 children attend, they are receiving love and education presented by Christians. These two children are very poor and without assistance they would not be able to get an education.

The last two children are orphans. They lost their parents just over a year ago. The uncle took the 4 children into his home. He and his wife already have children of their own, but did not want the children to go into an orphanage. The help was supposed to be for one of the children to go to the public school, but somehow with God's blessings both of the children of school age were able to enroll.

Many thanks to the support that came in to help these children. I hope to have new pictures after the Christmas Holiday.

Artificial rain

You know you are never too old to learn new things. Today my co-worker was listening to the radio and she told me that the electric company made artificial rain yesterday. I was first very unbelieving that anyone can make artificial rain, I said only God can create rain. It is part of nature. So, I looked it up on Google and guess what I was wrong. When the clouds are very thick you can use an airplane like a crop duster go into the clouds and disperse gases like dry ice or sometimes just salt. So anyway I understand that Madagascar is experiencing a lack of rain because of all the burning of the land, thus not leaving enough for all the people that live on the island. We should expect rain for the next week, because the electric company is trying to make rain. By the way it worked yesterday, we got a good rain.