The Christmas season was full! This year George and I kicked off our Christmas by checking out the Birmingham Christmas parade for the first time. We found it was quite different from the parades we see at home since this one began with real reindeer pulling Santa Claus (Father Christmas) leading the parade, not ending it. This was followed by three wisemen riding atop of live camel which was then followed by a live nativity on a float. There were many storybook and winter symbol characters on stilts or roller skates and very few floats and marching bands like we see in Canadian parades. It was fun and unique!
It was a delight to host the ABWE England Christmas party this year. An older MK declared it “the best ABWE Christmas party” she’d attended!
George and I attended an advent service for the area churches and also helped with an outdoor carolling event in a busy commercial area as well as the annual carolling at the seniors’ care home near our church.
One day as I finished teaching my ladies’ English class, the activities’ director from the seniors’ care home near our church came to ask if we had any children who could come and sing for the residents. It was a special blessing to go over on Dec. 22nd with our 3 church families who have younger children to do a little program for them.
On the 23rd at our church family service, I led the children’s nativity performance and thankfully each child (every one was NEEDED!) was healthy and did well. George and I were asked to do a special number at our church “Carols by Candlelight” service. George had been fighting a chest cold but was thankfully, well enough to sing. It was a busy day since we also attended the Bengali Fellowship Christmas service/party in the afternoon.
Our little church here in Birmingham traditionally holds a short service Christmas morning, which George led and spoke at. Once again, we Canadians were “family” for each other, getting together for Christmas dinner at Jeff and Rachel Lees’ home.
On our last day of classes for 2012, I gave the ladies a Jesus DVD in their mother tongue as a Christmas gift. Please pray they and their families view this film and are touched spiritually by it. The ladies requested that we have our Christmas party during the holidays so their children could be a part of it. I was thankful to have Rachel Lee and her 3 eldest children come along to help at it. We had 14 ladies altogether with 21 children. It was a busy happy time. The ladies each received a Scripture calendar in Urdu/English and the children a small book about the Christmas story as well as several little goodies.
Now on this first day of 2013, we want to wish you a Happy New Year!
Karen
