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FAMILY CHRISTMAS IN MALI

Every year I'm really looking forward to the Christmas season - the advent calendars with daily gifts for our children, baking Christmas cookies together, the gifts gathering in our living room and our kids eagerly checking to see whether their names are there and how many presents there are for them. There is nothing like seeing the joy on these little faces, especially on those kids that have never celebrated Christmas in their lives! How special it is for them!

This year the joy was marred a little as Paul and I sat in the restaurant noticing how we were only just a little more than half the number of people that we were last year. It made us painfully aware of the 13 children that left this year and I was wondering where they were and how they were doing and longing to be able to see them and hug them and love on them.

Still, we had a great time with the kids and adults that WERE present, eating Western chicken and a soda, and I especially enjoyed catching up with the non-resident kids that were there. After the meal, 21 of us crammed into our Landcruiser to return home to celebrate in our living room. In the car, I got talking to our driver Saloum, an ex-kid of ours who became our driver after Joseph left and who had never heard the story of why Joseph left. The more we talked about Joseph, the more I felt the pain of missing my son who we were raising up as a pastor and leader. When we got home, I broke into tears and sobbed as soon as I was alone, but I knew everyone was waiting to start the celebration, so I had to pull myself together.

Sadness soon turned into joy as we had such a wonderful time together. Everyone was eating the Christmas cookies the kids had made while we talked about the meaning of Christmas, sang HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jesus and prayed. Finally the time had come for what they were waiting for - the gifts! One after another the kids came up to receive their gift and pick another gift to give to the next person. Then everyone was watching curiously as they opened their gift, often reacting with great joy which was beautiful to watch. Each member of our family had picked one person's name to give a gift to, and I added an additional gift for every member of our family. We also put together bags full of goodies for all our 33 sponsored children that we gave them in the name of their sponsors.

It was nearly 10 pm before the last gift was given and half the chocolates were gone off the Christmas tree as each child got to pick one off the tree. A whole bunch of happy kids and adults left our living room, the non-resident ones to go home, and the resident ones to go to bed. What a wonderful time we had of remembering Jesus's birth and loving on each other!

Look at all our Family Christmas pictures here.

(STREET) KID CHRISTMAS PARTY

This year we might have had the biggest group of kids ever as we handed out about 105 papers with numbers to the kids coming onto our base. Those numbered papers help us hand out the gifts in an organized way at the end. We had picked 3 games to play to narrow it down to one winner, and I was a proud Mama watching our oldest teenager Amadou taking charge of that part of the program.

The first game was musical chairs in two groups. The five people standing in each group then had a balloon tied to their one leg that they had to hop on one-legged, trying to destroy the other kids' balloon and be the last man standing. In fact the last three standing went on to the third game, trying to make cans fall off with a ball. This young man was the proud winner and received the prize of a soccer ball.

After the games, Paul led them in a time of Bambara praise with lots of dancing and loud voices singing. Then he taught the whole gospel from beginning to end, illustrating the cross very tangibly with Bakary playing Jesus, and he was amazed at how attentively they were listening, causing no disruptions at all. Paul then asked questions to see whether they had really listened and was amazed at how many knew the answers to the questions. Then he asked them who wanted to follow Jesus, and most hands went up. Together everyone prayed a prayer of commitment.

In the meantime we had laid out 200 pairs of shoes by size - 100 for boys and 100 for girls - and one by one, the children came into our living room and tried on shoes to find the right size. Then we handed them a drink and a chocolate and wished them Merry Christmas. Over a 100 children came into our living room, and by the time we were done, lunch was ready for them.

What a wonderful time it had been, showing Jesus's love to these children who don't know what love or joy is. May many of them grow in their relationship with Jesus and become light-bearers to this dark nation!

If you'd like to help us cover the costs of our Christmas activities, we'd be very thankful.

Look at all our Children's Party pictures here.

QUICK NEWS

•        New Team Members - We are looking forward to the arrival of our two new Romanian team members in a matter of weeks/days. Crisstina is coming to do a 2-month internship as part of her missions school training, while Magda is coming to stay long-term. Please pray for their and our preparation and for the transitional period.

•        Disciple-Making Movement - From January 24-26 we have a 3-day training for all our DMM groups on our base. The Australian pastor who taught us is coming for those days with another pastor friend, and we're very much looking forward to those days. We are bringing in all our leaders, housing and feeding them, so we'd be thankful for any financial support if God lays it on your heart.

•        Intercessors Needed - Randy has just started walking without a crutch, after he sprained his ankle 6 weeks ago, but his arm has been in a lot of pain because of using the one crutch. He thinks he pulled a muscle. Please pray for his complete restoration. We are very much aware of the need for more intercessors.

•        Our carpenter - Caleb had a motorcycle accident the day of our celebration and has been unable to walk. That also means he is unable to work and he was not able to join us for Christmas. Please pray for his restoration. As for his apprentice our 14-year-old Bakary, I've been working with him daily to teach him reading, writing and math.

•        Building #4 - We're getting ready to start construction on our next much-need building which will serve as dorms and classrooms for our elementary school in the beginning, and will be our business and workshop section later. We're believing for it to be finished by fall so that our elementary school can start in it then. Total cost: $99,000 or 84.000€.

•        First-Grade Teacher - We are still looking for a French-speaking first grade teacher to join our team next September. There is such a need for a good, Christian school where the children are treated with dignity and learn something. Many of our Muslim neighbors would send their children to our school. Please pray we'll find a teacher by next fall!

•      Sponsor Needed - We're looking for a half-sponsor for Patrice (10), our cook's son. If you'd like to enable Patrice to go to school and be taken care off, a half-sponsorship is $30 or 25€ per month.

•        Security Situation - The presidential elections are planned for next July. They just delayed local elections for security reasons. Mali is becoming more and more radicalized by jihadists. Please pray for peace, and for protection from jihadists.

•        Malian Leader Paul - Please continue praying for Paul who really needs to move back onto our base but his wife does not want to. He's looking for housing that is closer than where they live now. Pray also for his wife to fall in love with Jesus and support him in ministry. This was the first year she did not join us for Christmas.

•        Miracle Baby - Please keep praying for our promised child. We will have an intervention at a fertility clinic in March. Please pray for success.

•        Language Learning - Randy has been learning French for the past few months but will join our new team member Magda in my Bambara class.

•        My book in French - My book has already been out in English and German for years, and now it's only a matter of a few more weeks and the French translation will be out. Praise God! Please pray for the final stretch.

•        Partners - We're looking for monthly financial partners as we only have 49% of our budget covered by regular monthly donations.

•       Volunteers - Do you want to come change an orphan's life? Do you want to heal the sick? Preach the gospel to those who've never heard? Come to Mali for a season and let God change your life. No language skills needed, but French skills are helpful.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:11)

Loving HIM,

Claudia (& Randy)