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Published: December 27th 2006
Santa goes to Tanzania!!
Coke is truly everywhere!The stockings were hung by the chimney with care... and even the Coke-Cola Santa was surprisingly there.... (in the form of a bill-board downtown!) the children all snuggled and nustled in bed... with visions of McDonalds all dancing in their heads.... (haha..)
We have had a very special holiday season here in Arusha this year. Our first Christmas ever in Africa! The kids are happy and healthy, doing great and it's so very amazing to hear my children speaking in Swahili to each other already. Just after 3 months of living here, they have already picked up so much of the language just by playing with their friends from church. Gracie loves to tell the dogs what to do in Swahili... so now we even have Swahili speaking dogs.
We have been so very blessed this last year, with our wonderful supporting congregation at Northport, Alabama, all of our friends and family who continue to write and encourage us each week since we have once again returned as missionaries in Tanzania. we even received a package in the mail full of snow, of all things.... little sparkling snowflakes that
came blistering down into Brent's lap in the truck when he opened the envelope full of sweet Christmas wishes from the members of the church at Northport... all the children's and adult classes and families made us cards to feel the warmth of home over the holidays.......and we all smiled & laughed... We read each one with smiles and tears, missing you all dearly!
The kids all awoke early Christmas morning, just like they always have and the pitter patter of little feet woke us from our sleep as they all scampered into the living room. Toys are a little hard to come by here in Africa, but we had a few presents for them anyhow... some sent over by sweet ladies from the church back home, some brought over with Pawpaw as he traveled over from the states, sent with him from their nanny & papa, aunts & uncles and great grandparents all back in the states. So you could hardly say that the kids had to do without anything at all...
I guess the hardest part was just missing family and close friends and the get togethers and all the warm hugs that go along with
Kelly preaching!!!
His first sermon at Arusha! those. We all miss our Nanny (Wanda Richardson) & Tiki's cooking... we're double blessed in that area, we're spoiled by Nanny at home in Texas and Tiki Box, when we're there in Alabama. But we did continue with our family tradition of everyone getting to ask for one thing that they wanted for Christmas lunch no matter what it might be... and everyone got their wish... Enchaladas for Brent, Mashed Pototoes for Emily, Brown gravy & Apple Pie for Kelly, Maccaroni & Cheese for Gracie and Garrett said he wanted big rolls... so they all got what they asked for and then some... Garrett even said that the rolls were too big to finish even one. With left overs ta boot' we're still enjoying Christmas lunch even today!
We invited John Hall, one of our fellow missionaries and fellow Texans.. (from Bowie) over to spend Christmas morning and afternoon with us, and I tried to find out his favorite food, but he said anything would do... (he's new to the family.... he'll catch on to how spoiled we all are soon enough... ) but the kids just love him to pieces, (and Brent says he's ok even if he
Sharing Christmas with John
Garrett enjoyed watching john open his presents... is an Aggie!) Gracie insisted that he sit next to her at the table and we made him open a few gifts too... had to twist his arm.
The kids all got wheels to ride... all but Garrett who already had a bike that Jimmy Swindle had given him back in Alabama, and he just needed a new tire, which he got as well... so Gracie, Emily, Kelly & Garrett are all mobile now... it's only been a day and a half now, and Gracie has already rode one of the training wheels off her new bike and is learning to ride with just one training wheel leaning off to the side.....and now she's just lost a peddle from what I can hear out the window... But they are all are giggling and happy as the day passes by...
We're enjoying the cool evenings with all the rain we're having, its been nice in the evenings....
The downpour of rains has left the roads somewhat to be desired, but the guys like sliding around in the mud anyhow... Brent's been having to use his 4-wheel drive to up and down the mountain all this last week and today
as well as he goes up to Kioga to help work on the construction of the floor and the covering of the walls there. they are trying to get it finished before we have the seminar there, starting on Jan 1st.
We were all excited and blessed to hear Kelly preach for the first time this last week too! He had a practice run Thursday evening he spoke at the Njiro seminar for a small crowd and got his confidence up to preach at Arusha Sunday night. Both times he did a marvelous job! He taught on the Church Universal and the Church Local... Now, he's even more excited about getting ready for school in March. Nothing makes us more proud than to see him up there teaching God's word, and doing it so wonderfully! In the same tune, if I can as a mama brag a little, Garrett's prayers are getting so good these days, he includes anyone that he overhears us talking about that may be sick or have been in the hospital even long after they've gone home... He's still praying for Uncle matt, who, after talking to him last night we hear is recovering and
The kids at Njiro...
Its a very nice neighborhood.... beautiful flowers all around. doing well at home, just a little weak, but even uncle matt says the prayers are helping! But little garrett has a big heart, and for any time we mention you or your families in need, its a guarentee that he will be praying for you too. Miss emily is my right hand gal... she's growing so very fast and always right by my side helping me in the kitchen, the classroom, or with whatever I may be working on. I don't know what I'd do without her! Gracie, well the baby of the family is now 5 and full of life, scared of nothing and proud of it! She's our little entertaining angel and keeps us all laughing all the time.
We still havent got hot water in the house... so for a Christmas treat, we took every pan in the house and boiled water and boiled water until every canister and cooler was full and all took turns filling up the tub half way with cold water and then adding in the boiling water to make a nice warm bath.. A silly but refreshing treat! It will be what we laugh about in the future when we
the church at Kioga
where Brent's been working all this week on the floor and walls... look back on this Christmas!
The tree is coming down today, the poor thing has been hangin on by a limb... but made it through the hoildays... We're hoping if we go plant it in the yard it will spring back to life and recover from the dangling ornaments and popcorn strings that the kids made. It's been a great year!
Ushering in a New year is just around the corner now... 2007 doesn't seem possible, but here it comes! Brent and I will be married for 11 years next month and the time has just flown by! It's good to be home here in Tanzania once again and we look forward to an exciting year ahead of us, with hopefully plenty of you coming over to visit and work together over the summer campaigns... Start making your preparations now, so we can all get excited together!
We love you and miss you all!
Love Julie
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Pat McIntosh
non-member comment
Enjoyed the pictures
Hey guys. Thanks for all the pictures. I look forward to seeing y'all again in September. Pat