December 23 2008 - did you send this?
We received a phone call this morning about 12 boxes to be delivered. FedEx delivered 12 boxes of non-perishable food items sent by a church that prays for us and that also supports one of our students on a monthly basis. Our cupboards were literally bare (except for a few spices and a couple cans of veggies) so packing the goods in was a little tight but was an easy thing to do! Thank you!
We immediately boxed up some of the things for delivery to two of our students' families who can use a little extra help.Your gift is blessing many.
Christmas 2008
GIFTS! from friends in the
Newcomers, from friends in the States,
from friends at
FOOD! we had several special meals during our last week of classes - a Puerto Rican lunch on Monday, Italian on Wednesday, and ham and the works on Friday! yummy! Special thanks to the ladies at Palmas Community Church for the dinner on Friday for ALL of our students, their families, our volunteers and visitors!
JESUS! We did a little play showing the birth of Jesus Christ -
music provided by Hector Saroza and Jilissa Iler, actors included students and friends of the ministry. The chairs were filled and we were excited to have so many come to see the story we love to tell - God's gift of love as His Son came to live among Man and provide the final sacrifice.
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December 1, 200
8
A group of sign language students from Ponce taught by Dr. Juanita Rodriguez of UPR visited us as part of their course. We had SO MUCH fun getting to know them.
Dec 3 we played at a seminar for
International Individuals with Disabilities Day
Our
BLUE CHRISTMAS video for our friends having a cold Christmas.
December 5 we played at an elementary school in Luquillo.
December 7 we presented our ministry at
Iglesia Maranata in Luquillo. Here Betsy Hoke is speaking while Spanish language translater Karon Schneider works with her.
We played the bells, talked about Deafness and ministry with the Deaf and ended with O Come O Come Emmanuel done by the staff and students. (See photo below)
December 10, we enjoyed what has become a yearly tradition - the
Newcomers' of San Juan Christmas luncheon. The students are beginning to know some of the members of the Newcomers Club and they enjoyed some sweet moments together.
We even played the bells and made some new friends :-)
Following lunch, we stopped by Border's Bookstore and each student bought a book for themselves using a gift card given for just that purpose!
December 16, we broke the monotony by going to the Post Office to play for the faithful workers who serve us regularly through the year.
We are having Dueling Bells this years as the staff have practiced Carol of the Bells. Now the students are vying for the BellPrize as we work separately to better our performances. The vote will be in around Friday!
(The audience declared a tie but the director of the bell choir and participant of the staff choir thinks the student choir won.)