Christmas Time

Wow, well, what can I say but this is one of the best Christmases I can say that I've ever celebrated.
Filled with focus on family, fun, and WHY we celebrate Christmas.
I have to say that its nice here because Christmas isn't a very big deal... you're not getting pumped with  commercialism.. so if you celebrate it you can totally focus on WHY.
I celebrate Christmas because the God who created me came to earth as a human baby. Born in the humble abode of cows and other animals.
How worthy of celebration this day is for us! How freaking AMAZING is it that I am so loved by God that he humbled himself to becoming human, and not even a human that the world loved at the time, who suffered because of who we are.
Wow. O.o
So here's a peek at my Christmas...
On the evening of the 24 we all ate together and had a fire. Then there was a program with the everyone doing skits and dances and it was really just so much fun!
At the end (midnight, so it was technically Christmas!) they gave everyone sweets and presents but reminded them that its not about presents but the gift of Jesus! It was a really great night.

The boys Rahul, Harsh getting sleepy at the campfire.

Shiva is excited about celebrating his first Christmas!

This is also Bhaskar's first Christmas! As it is with many of the new boys.

Gautam and Preetam.. This is actually Gautams's birthday on the 21st he turned 12 and the balloon and hat were his gifts.

Ashish- It means "blessing" in Hindi.

Me and Vijay. 

Vijay and Anit at their first Christmas!

Elmo!

This is the boys dancing at the campus Christmas program. Dancing is such a part of life here!

Ratan was trying to be really sweet so I would let him take my camera.

Shivam, Karo, Vijay, Me, Shiva at the schools Christmas program.

These are my roommates, Lene and Karo from Germany. They're good roomies!

The boys dancing again.. They just love it! 

So today (Christmas!) there was a church service and a really good message about the Christmas Story, then rest and play time.. and then delicious chicken curry... (soooo good, made by the older boys on campus!).

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! God bless you all, each and every one. 

Contentment

It's about 3 in the morning here... I maybe we awake due to the fact that I had a 2 hour nap today or all the chocolate covered coffee beans my mom sent me (plus the loads of tea I've started drinking recently, but hey, it's India! Famous for its tea.)
And I know, I know, I've been lazy in my blogging lately... so here's whats up.

con·tent·ment

  [kuh n-tent-muh nt] 

noun

1.

the state of being contented; satisfaction; ease of mind.

It's almost Christmas, and I've been thinking so much about little baby Jesus. I think this is the first Christmas I've had where it has really been hitting me that this is the SAME God who created the world, and the same one who died for it. 

The amount of blessing in my life is just overwhelming some moments, and I sit there among a bunch of little boys shouting praise songs and I just ask God "Please let me never forget this moment. Please." 

You can really learn so much from kids, (patience!), childlike faith, contentment... 5 to 6 boys shouting that they want to pray for the food, listening with wide eyes to the Christmas Story even if they don't understand everything I am saying. The eagerness to pray, and to pray for the big things like their uncle's operation to the scrape they got on their hand at play time... the faith they have to pray for these things and trust that God WILL heal them. That God will be with them, even if they don't fully understand the gospel yet.