[Mission India] Christmas Approaches
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Erin
Dec 20, 2008, 6:21:55 AM12/20/08
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We have no snow in India this time of year (or any time of the year!). Christmas music is not blaring over loudspeakers in the stores. We haven’t seen any ‘holiday’ commercials. Yet, we know that Christmas is approaching. Yes, they have Santa Claus here, I saw him in one of the stores the other day. And I saw one store that sells Christmas trees and decorations. So, there are signs, even in the secular sense. But it is not nearly the bombardment we see in the states!
However, despite the lack of ‘national frenzy’ over the holiday, the believers here are excited and preparing for many festivities. Christmas Caroling and Christmas Programs are in abundance in the churches here. We were so blessed the other night to have a group of men from our church come to our home (and many others) to sing carols to us and pray over our household and for our family. Listen to the videos below, and you will get to see and hear how blessed we are here this time of year!
We will be having a Christmas program for our Friday Bible Study this weekend. The kids get to be in it as well, which is so much fun! We are doing a play based on Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ that has been adapted with the salvation message. The kids play a small role as carolers who are shooed away by Scrooge! They will also be sharing a song and memory verses in the program.
The church has several programs going on. The children will be performing songs and verses. The youth are performing, as well. And these are in addition to the general church program for Christmas. I am so excited that the girls are getting to participate in so many of the programs and activities that are emphasizing the true meaning of Christmas.
In an update, Alan had the privilege of preaching once again at church about a week and a half ago. He is currently working on several projects in between teaching classes. He is developing, with my help, a Missionary Handbook to help develop better policies for incoming westerners, as well as ways the transition can be made smoothly for those adjusting to India as missionaries, using our own experiences and the goals and visions of the ministry here. He is also continuing to assist in the development of the Doctor of Missiology program. His teaching resumes in February, and he will be teaching Missiological Worldview, and is preparing that course, as well. He is also continually studying the Hindu religion, as well as studying how to both speak and write in Hindi.
Since we either sold or stored all of our Christmas decorations in the states, the girls and I are making all homemade decorations for the house. We have made homemade clay ornaments using flour, salt, water and the microwave! You learn to be thrifty and even more frugal than usual in these circumstances! We also made a very tall handprint Christmas tree to hang from the wall (using file folders taped together) which will serve as our actual Christmas tree! It has been really fun, and the girls love having such a hand in the decorating!
We are looking forward to experiencing an ‘Indian Christmas’. And praise the Lord, due to the work of those spreading the Gospel in India through ministries like BBCM; we can have a blessed Christmas, even in a country where Hinduism and other false religions abound. Please continue to pray for the work of the Indians here, as again, they are the ones going into the field and putting their very lives on the line to spread the Gospel. And pray that our efforts in preparing them for this difficult but rewarding work would be effectual and glorifying to Christ and serve to advance His Kingdom!
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Posted By Erin to Mission India at 12/17/2008 09:54:00 AM
However, despite the lack of ‘national frenzy’ over the holiday, the believers here are excited and preparing for many festivities. Christmas Caroling and Christmas Programs are in abundance in the churches here. We were so blessed the other night to have a group of men from our church come to our home (and many others) to sing carols to us and pray over our household and for our family. Listen to the videos below, and you will get to see and hear how blessed we are here this time of year!
We will be having a Christmas program for our Friday Bible Study this weekend. The kids get to be in it as well, which is so much fun! We are doing a play based on Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ that has been adapted with the salvation message. The kids play a small role as carolers who are shooed away by Scrooge! They will also be sharing a song and memory verses in the program.
The church has several programs going on. The children will be performing songs and verses. The youth are performing, as well. And these are in addition to the general church program for Christmas. I am so excited that the girls are getting to participate in so many of the programs and activities that are emphasizing the true meaning of Christmas.
In an update, Alan had the privilege of preaching once again at church about a week and a half ago. He is currently working on several projects in between teaching classes. He is developing, with my help, a Missionary Handbook to help develop better policies for incoming westerners, as well as ways the transition can be made smoothly for those adjusting to India as missionaries, using our own experiences and the goals and visions of the ministry here. He is also continuing to assist in the development of the Doctor of Missiology program. His teaching resumes in February, and he will be teaching Missiological Worldview, and is preparing that course, as well. He is also continually studying the Hindu religion, as well as studying how to both speak and write in Hindi.
Since we either sold or stored all of our Christmas decorations in the states, the girls and I are making all homemade decorations for the house. We have made homemade clay ornaments using flour, salt, water and the microwave! You learn to be thrifty and even more frugal than usual in these circumstances! We also made a very tall handprint Christmas tree to hang from the wall (using file folders taped together) which will serve as our actual Christmas tree! It has been really fun, and the girls love having such a hand in the decorating!
We are looking forward to experiencing an ‘Indian Christmas’. And praise the Lord, due to the work of those spreading the Gospel in India through ministries like BBCM; we can have a blessed Christmas, even in a country where Hinduism and other false religions abound. Please continue to pray for the work of the Indians here, as again, they are the ones going into the field and putting their very lives on the line to spread the Gospel. And pray that our efforts in preparing them for this difficult but rewarding work would be effectual and glorifying to Christ and serve to advance His Kingdom!
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Posted By Erin to Mission India at 12/17/2008 09:54:00 AM
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