The past three weeks have been comfortable. I moved into my new house and am enjoying having my own space and my two new housemates Fliss and Kate. I'll be hitting up IKEA in a few weeks for a few accessories. So far I've been able to figure out most English appliances. Like for instance, the fan ovens over here should be set 20 degrees below the estimated cooking temperature and may cook sugar cookies in 4 minutes, not 8. That is a good thing to know when baking Christmas biscuits for your life group. Never fear, the smoke detectors in my house are fully functioning.
I'm not sure the same can be said for the radiators in the church building that we rent for the weekly Sunday gathering. But the carol service went extremely well anyway. Sometimes I think the English are accustomed to being slightly chilled at all times. But we had many visitors and during the children's story time, Weslie, wonderful jumble of two-year-old-girlishness that she is, danced around the front of the stage whilst listening to the book. Isn't it a joy to see children bask in the joy of life. Dostoyevsky says that the soul is healed by being with children. I quite agree.
(Weslie)I wasn't really worried about Christmas, and I don't know why. As long as I had a place to belong, it made it easier to be away from my family. God is my sustenance on most days, so I figured He would take care of it. And He did. Christmas Eve, I spent with the Fanchers, a couple on the church-plant team, and a varied group of internationals. Ironically, we only had one Brit present. We read the Christmas story with two Chinese girls who had never heard it, a Romanian girl, and a Nigerian who is a strong believer. There's something different, holy, or 'other' about sharing the story with people who've not heard it before.
(Tolu and Nora) 
Christmas morning dawned and I even had a present to open:). I spent the morning with the lovely McElroy family. They even bought presents for me (and yes one can go through four boxes of Amazing Spiderman candy sticks in one sitting-they're small boxes). Destiny, the youngest McElroy child, had asked me earlier in the week if I would come for Christmas. I thought I might go to a Christmas morning service at the Anglican church by my house and she said, "Aw, we wanted you for our Christmas." Who can argue with that? That evening I dined on a very traditional meal - enchiladas and chicken soft tacos. Apparently my sopapillas were a hit; they even made their way into the sermon on Sunday. I may be making loads this coming year.
Who can even believe that it will be 2009 in a mere few days? Apparently I will be celebrating Scottish style. Although, I'm not sure that I can stomach haggis. I'll let you know:). A new year and a new job in a new country. We'll be having a staff retreat at the beginning of the year, so I've planned to talk with the rest of the team about vision for the children's ministry. I even have my first volunteer! And I got to dance in the back of the sanctuary with the children this last gathering of the year. I know children's ministry is not all fun and games, but I am so
blessed in the calling of the Lord. Holding babies is in my job description (well it should be).
(The Darbster)
Thanks for all who sent Christmas cards! I love to hear updates from all of you. Please let me know if there are ways I can be praying for you all. You never know what God will do in a year...You never know what God will do...Thanks be to God for all that He has done and will do!
J-
