So of course it's difficult on all missionaries to be away from family on Christmas. To compensate for the sad times we might otherwise feel, we apparently plan LOTS of activities. The last few weeks have been FULL of festivities. At Lapilo there was a Christmas bazaar, choir concerts, and of course a Christmas Eve service complete with Pageant! Oh yes, it was the cutest thing ever.
Here at ITF we had a staff party, where we all got together to eat, drink hot cider, eat some more, play a couple of games, and watch the kids receive their stockings. Oh, and we had a story time too.
My friend Heather came out to spend the week of Christmas (and her Birthday!) with us. We attended a "Carol Sing" at the ITF director's house. We all sat around the piano and sang carols, and ate more food and drank more cider. (do you see a theme here?!)
The next day, we (with Beth, Fred, and the Germans) made & decorated cookies, and then delivered them to all of the staff families - and did some caroling while we were at it.
On Christmas morning we had breakfast together and then opened gifts - from each other, plus we 'd saved all the gifts we'd gotten from home in care packages and opened those together.
Boys sporting some of their new gear
Sunglasses & bracelet from mom. Buried in all the wrapping paper :)
In the evening we (single people) had a feast over at the Mixter's house - salad, rolls, ham, chicken, potatoes & green bean casserole. Plus birthday cake & cherry pie. 
After dinner we watched "A Muppet Christmas Carol" and just hung out together. Again, I was thankful that God provides not only a Savior, but also friends & family to encourage us when we need it. I am often overwhelmed that the God of the Universe who has already given us so much, cares about the little details of our lives. I pray that you all had a blessed Christmas!
And as for the last week - we have been very very very busy preparing for our first Interface program of the year! Woo hooo! I absolutely cannot wait for the students to get here and to watch God work!
Oh, and just a cute side note. Today I had a bunch of the kids from the village come to my door and ask if they can color. I've been bringing crayons and coloring books to the village when I go up and coloring with any kids that are around. I must have gotten a reputation! After they colored a couple of pictures they called out for me to come see their work. I now have some beautiful art decorating my fridge!
~ Nicky
"If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He could live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart. What about the Christmas gift He sent you in Bethlehem; not to mention that Friday at Calvary."
December has brought some exciting adventures for your favorite Missionicky! I had the opportunity to spend the beginning of the month on the east coast, in Madang. Beth, the Germans & I were able to fly with NTM- Aviation... in a tiny 5 seater Cessna. That was a little nerve-wracking, but I've always enjoyed a good adrenaline rush.
The temperature difference in Madang took some getting used to! It was not only extremely hot but I suspect the humidity is around 1,000%. I spent lots of time either in the water, or in the shade. It was incredible to experience another part of the country, and I very much enjoyed playing in the ocean, trying new foods, meeting new people, and reuniting with some friends I'd made a my orientation in FL who are serving in Madang. Plus, the culture is quite a bit different on the coast than in the mountains.
Some boys playing by a "boat". Notice one of them is wearin' nothin' but swimming goggles and a smile!
This is fried seksek wrapped in a banana leaf that I bought in the market. SekSek is from the inside of a sego palm, and a traditional food of the region. It was fairly disgusting.
One of the coolest things for me was being able to go scuba diving again! I was PADI certified many years ago while spending a semester abroad in Australia. Madang boasts some of the best diving in the world, some say even better than the Great Barrier Reef because it isn't very touristy here. However, on the dive boat that day we had 7 people and 4 different languages. Thankfully for this dumb American, they all spoke a little bit of English.
Check out how spectacularly clear the water is!
How can I even begin to describe the wonders I saw under that blue?! There were brilliant colored fish, big barracuda, electric blue starfish... I held a puffer fish, stuck my head inside a B-52 bomber, and even swam close to a shark (a little guy). From the boat, I saw a couple of dolphins jumping only 40 yards away. Oh, and I can't forget about the entire SCHOOL of fish I saw JUMPING out of the water. Repeatedly. They arced out about 5 times. It looked like a cartoon.
It was a huge blessing to all of us to be able to go on this break. We'd all been working very hard for the conferences the last few months, and rarely able to leave the campus. I didn't even realize how stressed I was until we had the chance to relax a little bit. And it was a fantastically intimate time for me & God. By the time we got "Home" I was encouraged, refreshed and ready to dive back into work. And there was a LOT waiting for me. Our first ITF team of students arrives shortly so I have been extremely busy preparing for them to spend a month with us.
To Be Continued...
"I want passionate feelings to characterize my relationship with the Lord Jesus. Of course, I want to be perfectly obedient to the Lord, but I want the obedience to spring out of a passionate love for him. I want to obey Jesus not simply out of discipline of duty, or because of some reward or fear of punishment. I want to serve Him simply for the joy of being able to please the one I love so much. If discipline is what ultimately drives us in our pursuit of Jesus, eventually we will give up that pursuit. But a man in love, or a woman in love will never quit.... I want my life to be characterized by an unrestrained affection for the Son of God" ~ Jack Deere
My friend Heather came out to spend the week of Christmas (and her Birthday!) with us. We attended a "Carol Sing" at the ITF director's house. We all sat around the piano and sang carols, and ate more food and drank more cider. (do you see a theme here?!)
On Christmas morning we had breakfast together and then opened gifts - from each other, plus we 'd saved all the gifts we'd gotten from home in care packages and opened those together.
After dinner we watched "A Muppet Christmas Carol" and just hung out together. Again, I was thankful that God provides not only a Savior, but also friends & family to encourage us when we need it. I am often overwhelmed that the God of the Universe who has already given us so much, cares about the little details of our lives. I pray that you all had a blessed Christmas!
