Although this was the first time I was not with my family on Christmas Day, I had a very memorable First Christmas in Nigeria! We had parties at our Care Centers, where each boy received a new outfit! They were so excited and thankful! I spent Christmas Eve and Day at our missions retreat center, Miango. On Christmas morning, a small group of us met at 6am and drove to two nearby extinct volcanoes. As the sun rose and painted the sky all shades of oranges and pinks, we hiked up the volcanoes, pushing through the grass that was taller than us. As we hiked, I stopped along the way to take pictures, attempting to capture the majestic artwork of our Creator. We were surrounding by flat plains stretching far into the horizon, scattered palm trees, and the silence of the early morning. I could imagine people in the nearby villages waking up, building fires, and celebrating the birth of Christ in their very special, simple and reverent way. The knowledge that Jesus' life was being celebrated all over the world that day sent peace and joy into my soul. It was a moment etched in my memory forever.
New Year's Eve was also memorable as I arrived at TH at 11 p.m. and joined the kids in praise and worship. We also had a time of confession so that the kids could go into the New Year with a clean heart before God. The kids confessed to stealing, anger, and lying. It touched my heart when one of our youngest confessed to stealing from three of his friends and asked them for forgiveness. We had a powerful prayer time and then more praising and dancing!
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