Happy New Year to you all! Christmas greetings across the world!
Car saga – Our November trip to Mbour, while eminently satisfying in regards to the Ladies’ Retreat and time with good friends for the men and children, was disastrous for my car. The air conditioning will require another $500 (1825 Dh) to fix. On the way back home, my engine developed cooling issues. It stayed with the mechanic about a month before the issues were dealt with. It now is with me and works, but still no AC.
Ladies’ Retreat – The ladies’ retreat was wonderfully restful, renewing and refreshing. We had a good speaker who brought fresh application of the Commandments to living in 2013. I got to see friends I haven’t seen since before we went to the States, and made some new friends, too. We stayed in a lovely resort area and were sufficiently pampered to make our leaving reluctant.
Printers and computers – Since the last time I wrote the printer has been working as it should. We have been printing out Christmas crafts and other surprises with no problem. Both Molly and Emma are working on ‘publishing’ a creative story complete with illustrations! Lots of rough draft printing fun!
Cooler weather – The weather is finally cooling off. The high today was only 97°F/36°C with correspondingly cooler temperatures inside. This means the fact that the fan on the roof is not working at all is less strategic for the time being. We are all more comfortable in the day-time and snuggling under covers at night (lows are in the low 60’s F/ around 16°C). However, with the cooler weather, it is also dryer which means more dust and respiration difficulties for me.
Christmas – as I write, I am surrounded by our own beautiful Christmas art work: wall-sized nativity scenes with Mary, Joseph and Jesus on one wall, shepherds on another and Wise Men on yet a third. We are still anticipating Christmas, but I know it will have passed before you get this.
When I contemplate all that Christmas means and the momentous earth-changing events it began, I marvel at how God could have revealed that plan to Satan in advance and how hard Satan worked to thwart its effectiveness. And yet Christ did come; he did escape Herod’s blood bath of the Bethlehem babies; he did preach and heal and perform miracles in the midst of a hostile culture. And just when Satan thought he had triumphed by Jesus death, God surprised him by winning and exalting Jesus to the highest place – and taking us with him!
So we continue to celebrate his coming. We marvel at how God did it with Satan knowing about the plan all along. We rejoice that we also can triumph over Satan through Jesus. Our Christmas joy translates into that peace which is beyond understanding and empowers us to do far more than we can even think or imagine!
My prayer for you is that this Christmas will renew and refresh your joy and wonder at the lengths God has gone for you. His love is beyond comprehension – look back and see his marvelous works in your life and trust him expectantly for fabulous adventures ahead!
Be sure to check out pictures of our Christmas celebrations!
Prayers
R Thanksgiving for good trips out to see friends; refresh at the Ladies Retreat; and restock groceries!
R Praise for cooler weather; petition for my health to stay excellent as the dust gives me breathing problems.
R Wisdom regarding the roof fan and AC in the car.
R Continued prayers for my support to rise to 100%.
R Thanks and praise for Christ and Christmas!