Twas the Week before Christmas......

On Monday eve., Seth and I "wrapped" over 110 gifts.

On Tuesday night, we had the children come to practice playing the bells for our Christmas Program. Afterwards, we played a few games, had a talk, and then opened some gifts.

THANK - YOU LEBANON GOD'S MISSIONARY CHURCH FOR BRINGING LOTS OF LAUGHTER AND JOY TO OUR CORNER OF THE WORLD! APPRECIATE IT MUCH!

Wed. Ladies' Night

Thursday, Christmas Service

There were 43 in attendance with at least 3 people who came for the very first time and several who attended that haven't for years. Yes, we were encouraged! The whole program was centered around not having an Xmas, just another holiday, but a CHRISTmas!

Friday School Gift Exchange N Pizza

Friday evening - Paricipating in Program at Hospah Holiness Mission

The Tale Of Two Kings - It was Awesome!

A Herod's Life vs Jesus' -

Last Scene - Everyone will bow at the name of Jesus! (even Herod who scurged and ridiculed Him) It was a very powerful ending as the whole cast went to the front and bowed down before the cross and Jesus, laying our "trophies" at His feet, while someone sang, "Have you any room for Jesus?"

Christmas Decor

How does it look around our place at Christmas?

This year the students chose to decorate the classroom in gifts and bows.

At the church, we always try to decorate with a message.

Got Home! Need Wife!

Here is a good friend of ours that is looking for a helpmeet. He recently has purcased his own home and is doing some remodeling on it. He is a third generation MK here in NM. He loves the Lord and feels he needs to help his parents in the mission work at Hospah, NM. He has many interests; Hunting, camping, fishing, ranching, and some good old fashion clean fun with family and friends and works hard. He loves children and they love to be with him. He is about 25 yrs. and I had better not forget his name: Timothy Sanders

What's on the "List" for this week?

Plans for this week seem overwhelming! I have cleaning, cards, some decorating, and gifts to wrap Monday night. Tuesday night, we plan to practice playing the bells with the community children for the program and have a little Christmas children's night, giving out gifts that others sent in for the children. Wed. it is the ladies night. We plan a little C. craft, make some candy and share a little gift and devotional. Thursday, we have our Christmas program @ 7:00 p.m. (Please pray!) Friday, we are scheduled for our last day of school for this year with our C. party and then in the evening, we are planning to participate in another program that is on the tales of two kings.
Lord willing, I'll be back to the computer next Sat., if I survive the week.:)
On the serious note, I really do appreciate all the prayers and encouragement you all send our way. Christmas is a very busy time, but it is also a great time for outreach. This past week, when we went C. caroling, I finally had one guy that said he would come to church on Thursday night for the C. program. I hope and pray he will. He will help his mother get ready and send her but he never showed interest in coming.
Hopefully, we will remember our camera next time and be able to share some of the events of this past week. We made lots of cookies, with the school students help, and gave out a plateful to those to whom we went Christmas caroling. Trust you all have a good week and its off to jail service for me............... Still pondering this morning's lesson..........Would I have been willing to say yes to the angel as Mary did when knowing the difficult task that God was asking me to do could mean persecution, separation from loved ones, losing the one I was about to marry, others talking bad about me and the list goes on..............remember it's about CHRISTmas! Mel

'Tis the Season...

Goodies! Mmmm!Mmmm! That time when the Christmas programs are in full swing and those of us who are in charge have a million and one things to do to get it all together and run it as smoothly as possible. Tonight we put together some treat bags for our Christmas program. Our family has some memories to go with preparing treats. As long as I can remember this has been a yearly event. Our family also has some stories to go along with the ritual. One year my father opened all the bags to add one more M&M because there were some left over. The preparation started earlier when we went to Albuquerque to pick up the makings of the treats. One of the big hits is the "Monster Cookies." I'm not sure where they get their name. Mabe its the size of bowl you need to mix the batter in. It only takes 18 cups of oatmeal and 3 lbs of peanut butter and 1 doz. eggs plus brown sugar and baking soda - 8 teaspoons not tablespoons as we found out last year- and M&M's. We like to let it set overnight and then bake the following day. Well while Melodie did laundry and dishes I baked over 6 doz cookies. It's not over yet. We will pack some more for our jail service we have on Christmas Day.
Here we see the 2nd and 3rd gerneration working on the treats - Auntie and Marlin.

Praise and Prayer Update

Thank-you for your prayers! I'm sure every one is busy now a days, but for those of you who do remember us in your prayers. Thank-you!
Yes, Marlin and I were blest with having pink eye for the first time. We hope and pray we are on the mend and do not pass it or get it agian.
Grandma Edith had another procedure again on Monday. They found a bleeding ulcer. We had four little extra ones from Monday morning till Tuesday evening, needless to say, we did not feel like we got enough sleep Tues. morn. with all the interuptions during the night.
She came through the procedures fine, and we once again thought we were making progress, and then yesterday, she was moved back into ICU again.
On the brighter side, I am encouraged, despite the extra unplanned responsibilities, we did get at least five big projects, plus lots of others, completed this week towards Christmas preparations. (Don't ask how many more there is to do, just rejoice with me that five are completed. :) )
Hope you all have a great week!
As the angels rejoiced and sang, let us rejoice and sing!
Once again, thanks for your prayers! Melodie

Prayer Requests

Grandma Edith who went in the hospital on the 22nd of June and has been in a hospital or care facility since then, except for one week, is having another procedure done today. She had heart surgery on Nov. 16th, we thought she was well on the mend, but this a.m. recieved another phone call saying that she was transported back to the hospital. We heard her two grandsons praying that she would come home for Christmas. Please join us in prayer that if it be God's will, this could happen, it sure would be an encouragement to the family.
Baby Wade has pink eye this week, I hope and pray that it will not spread around the classroom, especially since I watched him several times this week. With everyting else that is happening, I don't think we need this.
We certainly need prayer as we are planning and preparing for Christmas activities and services. We want it to be more than just a fun and busy time but a time to draw closer to the Christ of Christmas!!
God also knows about the three personal unspoken prayer requests!
Thank-you for joining with us in prayer about these matters! This morning's lesson was on Job and I am glad that He knows the way I take, and when I am tried may I come forth as gold. Mel

More Intersting Numbers

I heard this story:
A young man was a very good athlete and was wanting to play college football. The coach told he would have to pass a test. That made him very nervous because he fell short academically. Here's the test - multiply the nines
9x1=
9x2=
9x3=
9x4=
9x5=
9x6=
9x7=
9x8=
9x9=
He sweated over this for quite a while and knew he couldn' t pass. He could only answer one problem. That was 9x1=9. So he decided to count the others to see how many he missed.
9x2=1
9x3=2
9x4=3
9x5=4
9x6=5
9x7=6
9x8=7
9x9=8
To be sure he counted right he counted again statring at the bottom counting up.
9x2=18
9x3=27
9x4=36
9x5=45
9x6=54
9x7=63
9x8=72
9x9=81
He made the team.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr! Awwwwwwwww!

Its that time of the year again. We drag out the extra blankets, heaters and winter clothing. The days are getting shorter and shorter. It's hardly 5:30 pm and you have to turn the lights on. Some drag out the old chainsaw and get it tuned up for the winters wood supply. We have been doing something a little different. We haul coal. Yep, you read it correctly. For us to get wood we have to haul it more than 40 miles one way, and coal is about 20 miles. Now this picture is not our vehicle, but it is at the place we load it. Yes, we load it. Thursday, Marlin and I went to get coal and we loaded 1.75 ton on a 4 by 8 trailer. Then later we helped Judy load 3.75 ton on their truck. We get a double heat out of the load. We worked up quite a sweat loading it. Later we will feel its warmth radiate from the stove. As you can see some of those chunks of coal are quite large. They will burn for several hours.