One week and we’re off!

Last Wednesday we ended our final small group study of the year with a “white elephant” gift exchange party.

Some of the folks had never done this before, and there were a lot of laughs, as well as lots of food.

Everyone had a great time, even if some didn't like the gifts they got!

The wedding we went to a week ago Saturday was a beautiful outside event under palm trees. There were nearly three hundred people at reception sit down dinner around the pool. The dinner was finally served at midnight, so we headed home shortly after, thankful we weren’t responsible for the clean-up on this one. (Sorry, at this point, no pictures of it as I didn’t take the camera.)

Yesterday was the Christmas cantata at church. There was congregational singing at the beginning of the service, and once again - just like the night the teens led the service - the power went off in the region. Thankfully, it was off for only a couple minutes during the first song.

The service was a beautiful presentation of the story of the birth of Jesus with the praise team, choir, soloists and even drawings (done by one of the members) of nativity scenes included.

Around one hundred and fifty people came out for the service. Afterward, the people had no trouble going through the food – especially the cookies – that was brought in.

These next two Sundays there will be other special services. (Pictures are kind of hazy because of the dark auditorium)
Tomorrow I’ll get the suitcases out so we can start packing. A week from today we’ll be heading out to sea on board the Splendor of the Seas on a six day Christmas cruise. It was a sweet deal of buy one passage and get the second free for a suite with a veranda. There will be stops at beaches from above Rio down to Santos. We looking forward to some “down time” together after the busy schedule of these past few months.

This is probably the last entry before Christmas. We trust that you, like our grandson, are looking forward to something special! Merry Christmas!