Greetings!
I am sorry it's been a while since I last wrote. Just finding the time to sit down to write for a bit is a challenge. Over the last several months I have been enjoying reading books by Terri Blackstock. She is a Christian suspense writer. I am really enjoying these books! They are very quick reads! I can't seem to put them down once I get them. :)

I thought I would tell you about the holidays. I went Christmas Caroling a few times with the high school students and some of the staff. The first time I went with them, we went to 3 different business: Ace Hardware, EZ Price--which is kind of like a small department store, and Payless--the grocery store. This was the first time the school caroled at business. EZ Price actually has a sign outside the store, in which they put pictures up of the students singing. They even had these stores wanting them to come back and some calling for them to come! They were not the typical American Christmas songs, but they sure had presented the gospel and the Reason for the season to those who listened. I went another time when we went to the now-sitting President's home. It was a somber time, as they were having what we think of as a viewing/showing during a funeral. I think I mentioned before that they actually keep the body and decorated casket at their home for at least 7 days and have different groups come during this time. Well, that is what was going on at the President's home at this time. But we went to share the message of Christ with them. Actually, this President has several grandchildren in the school. Another time we went caroling to, I think it was 6 different homes, where parents have invited us. It was fun and entertaining for sure!

Anyway, that was before and after the Christmas play. The play was very good, and we had 3 showings of it...one that Friday in chapel for students, one Saturday evening, and one Sunday evening. Even when the time was getting close and the students don't seem to be getting it, they always pull it together at the last minute, it seems! I enjoyed helping with it! I got to know a lot of the students doing this, which was good.

I have come to decide that maybe my laptop has some kind of virus. It works fine, at least it seems to. Except when I try to plug in the camera, memory card, or flash drive. Then whatever is on it, does not appear on the computer. In fact, it says there are other files...and they are always the same...which I did not put on it nor will they open. But when I put this stuff back in the camera or whatever...pictures are all still there. So, that is all that I can figure out. Any ideas if that could be the case? I figure, I guess I won't be posting any more pictures until I come home. :( So, that just means I will have to save them to the memory card and only keep the ones that I want. At least I am able to take pictures though!

Christmas break was a very short one to say the least. It was about a week and a half. We had our Christmas program...in which each class comes in one at a time: sings a song, recites some Bible verses, or recites a poem. After your class goes, at least with the older ones, they can go. I pretty much let them go. Before our time, they were allowed to play some games, like UNO, tiddly winks, and Jenga. They really had fun doing that! Then, we were out. On that Saturday we cleaned and touched up the church. The benches were even repainted...and decorated. That evening we had our Sunday School party. Mrs. Buck came up with a couple of games. One game was like a cake walk...except there were other bags of "goodies". I was actually the first winner! I've always said 13 was my lucky number...and sure enough that night it was again! When the music stopped, I was on 13...and I thought wow, my lucky number. And that was the first number picked. Yippee! I got a bag of blueberry muffins and some cookies. Yummy. Then after that, we played a "right/left" game. I'm sure you've heard of it...I don't know what the correct name is for it...but they had gifts wrapped where we each picked one. Then, Mrs. Buck read the Christmas story so that every time she said right, we passed our gift right. And every time she said left, we passed them left. When the story was over, we got to unwrap our gifts. I loved the idea so much, that I am planning on doing it with my students at the end of the year. So, I am starting to get things to wrap and give them. I am sure they will enjoy it very much!

Christmas Day was different. I got up like normal. We were doing nothing until 3:00. We had a Christmas Day service. After the Service, we had a program with different singing, and then we had a meal. We are Baptists...if you know what I mean...always gotta have a meal! We had several young children in the service without any parents. I was told it is because the parents send these kids around just to get the food to bring it home. It may be their only meal for the day. Sad I know. In fact, New Year's Eve is like Halloween in the states. The kids come around and sing something about sharing and then say Happy New Year! We give out whatever we got that we don't really want...Mrs. Buck said one year they gave out bananas. And they had several kids eat them at the bottom of the steps because they knew if they went home with it, they wouldn't get to keep it. I think many people give out candy...that's what we did. Oh, but before New Year's Day, the other missionaries and I had an American style Christmas. I got to also meet the couple that runs the Salvation Army down the street from our school. It was a fun and relaxing day of fellowship.

Then, we started back to school Jan. 2. The first day back I had 11 students out of 27 show up to class! That was 16 students out...over half my class was out! Thursday was better with only 5 out. I had 4 out all 3 days that first week back. They are back now. We are finishing up the quarter, as we end second quarter/semester one on Jan. 17. So close to being halfway finished with the school year.
I do pray that each of you have a blessed and Happy New Year!

Oh, I almost forgot to mention something. I got a special package in the mail from a sweet friend of mine. And inside were special handmade Christmas cards from the 3rd Grade students at Athens Christian School. They were the students I had last year when I taught 2nd Grade there! They were so very sweet! I enjoyed each one very much! I could tell how much work and thought went into the cards. How sweet!
Also, thank you so much to those of you that sent Christmas cards! I enjoyed recieving them in the mail! I have them hanging up. Thank you so much for thinking of me! I'm sorry I could not send out cards this year! But each one of you were in my thoughts and prayers.
 As some of my students would say at the end of their journals..."that is all I have for now. Thank you for reading."

Sarah