WEDNESDAY, 12/26
I wrote in my last entry that I would blog again on 12/24/07 but, obviously, I did not make that entry. I basically decided to turn my cell phone off and limit my time on the computer during these days as we have focused on the birth of Christ.
This has been a different Christmas season for my family but one we have enjoyed immensely. Lisa wanted to spend this Christmas at home since we now have two sons-in-law. We enjoyed an immediate family time on Sunday night and then joined Lisa’s parents, her sister Kim & husband, Gary, and Buddy Jones for our annual Christmas Eve family gathering. Michael & Deidra and Brad & Daphne spent the night with us on Christmas Eve and we celebrated Christmas Day as a family by just hanging around the house, eating, playing board games & cards, taking a nap, and eating! We have enjoyed a good few days together as a family. I thank God for my wife, our five daughters, and our two sons-in-law.
We had two good services this past Sunday and an excellent service on Monday evening. I am thankful to God for His blessings during these services. What a joy to see Traci Holifield make a public profession of faith desiring baptism during our second service Sunday morning. Thanks to our student choir and Rebecca Mang for providing the vocals during our Christmas Eve service and to our instrumentalists for their special. I believe Jesus was exalted during that service.
I have to say a huge “thank you” to Rhett Butler, Brad Hutto, Dewayne Lavelle, and TJ Vice for their help on Christmas Eve morning as they unloaded and reloaded the container. Deidra and Hien gave a late assist too. We were looking for 21 boxes containing the school uniforms for Casa Aleluya and finally found them. They will be shipped to Tennessee today and then taken to Guatemala next week as school begins on 1/15/08.
Ross & Kathy Genzink are leading a group of 25 from the Graafschap Christian Reformed Church in Holland, MI to Guatemala to do mission work. They leave for Detroit late this afternoon and then fly out tomorrow and return next Thursday, 1/3. Ross & Kathy are the only two in this group who have ever been to Guatemala so this should be a neat experience. Our staff in Guatemala has done a good job in getting ready for them and are eagerly anticipating helping them during their time in Guatemala.
I remind the members of the Friendship family that we will have two worship services this Sunday, 12/30, – 10:30AM & 5:00PM.
Please pray for my dad, Charles Turrentine, as he has a pretty severe case of the shingles on his left leg. He missed our family gathering this past Saturday due to this illness. Those of you who have had shingles can feel his pain. Your prayers are appreciated.
I pray that you will have a great day with Jesus.