“Alright, all we need is for the Christmas tree to go there; PERFECT!” Our friends Eads, Jocelyn and Jeanette all posed in front of the Christmas tree for a picture.  As Bing Crosby sang “White Christmas” in the background and the smell of apple cider was in the air, it actually began to feel a lot like Christmas.  Sonata was making cookies while I snapped a picture of a memory that will be imprinted in my mind forever. Three precious girls had been invited over this week for a Christmas decoration party, and watching them laugh and talk and place the ornaments on the tree was such a special moment for me. We had such a wonderful time, being able to share a part of our culture with them and our love for Christmas and the joy that it brings.

Last weekend we were able to take an overnight vacation to a natural hot springs around our area. I had never been able to experience anything like that before and was a great memory and something that I truly enjoyed. We were able to get some rest and enjoy some quiet time in the countryside, which is rare in the big city of G-town. I was very thankful for the time off and the calm before the storm of the holiday season.

This week has flown by with preparations for Christmas as well as planning parties and friend meetings. I have spent quite a bit of time trying to get everything with my passport and visa all straightened out, and will hopefully have that all finished sometime next week. Thank you all for your prayers and your e-mails. They were very uplifting during a time that could have been extremely discouraging.

My language classes have been going well. They are getting much more difficult as we are learning lots of new characters and some of the more in-depth parts of the language. However, it is really nice to see the benefits of our studies and we can now begin to read some of the signs or menus and carry out a small conversation.

Prayer Requests:

1. Sickness this season

2. Our parties coming up. We have next week!

3. That we don’t get worn out with the season but have are refreshed and able to keep moving forward.

4. We have had a small security scare here this past week, so please ask that we are kept safe and protected.

Praise Report:

*We have a new sister and a new brother in the family!

 I hope this e-mail finds you well and know that you are being thought of during this holiday season.

Love,

Summer

Firsts:

1. Ate Horse ( I don’t know how much more of this I can take!)

2. Bought my first “fake” Christmas tree

3. Had chicken baked in Coca Cola (that was delicious)