MERRY CHRISTMAS from sunny South Africa !

Well , some of you have probably been wondering

 what Christmas is like in South Africa.

Christmas is HOT!!!!

Most South African Christians celebrate Christmas 

by attending a Christmas service.

Our church

(Enjoy a few pictures I took in my neighbor's garden on Christmas Day,

 while I tell you more about Christmas here in South Africa.)

We had a Christmas Morning Service at 9am.

During the service, we sang the Christmas carols 

and read the Christmas story from Luke 2 & Matthew 1&2.

Our service was packed and it was very hot in the building.

I wonder if this guy is any relation to the Christmas beetle? (heee, hee!)

After service, the families exchanged a few homemade presents 

and we went our separate ways for  Christmas dinner.

The Demarests and I enjoyed Christmas meal together 

since we are the only family each other has on this side of the world.

We ate - turkey breast, mashed potatoes, green bean cassarole, 

corn pudding, stuffing, sweet potatoes,

 and had cream cheese pie with cherries (from the States) on top.

After lunch, Robbin and I played a round of Phase 10,

while pastor enjoyed watching some football in between his cat naps

(Shh, don't tell him I told you that!   :)   )

The afternoon meant that our families in the States 

were just waking up on Christmas morning.

So we parted ways to talk to our families.

My family lives on the East Coast, 

but the Demarest's family is West Coast and MidWest.

 So, I had to wait a little longer to talk to my family.

That was okay, because I got to take a nap.

What a blessing it is to see and hear your family on Christmas Day!

I got to talk to my mom, dad, brother, cousin, aunt & uncle.

I felt like I was there with them!

Thank the Lord for modern technology and that my internet was working!

Most South Africans celebrate Christmas different than us.

After church, they may gather with family, 

each family bringing part of the meal and all contributing a different meat to the feast - one will bring lamb, another turkey, ham, gammon, duck,....  

They cook their meat ahead or brai (barbeque) there

 and bring cold salads to share.  

They know how to enjoy a hot day by eating cooler things 

and going swimming in the afternoon!

Christmas Cracker

Some South Africans open Christmas Crackers at mealtime.  

The first time I heard of Christmas crackers,

 I thought it was special crackers to eat at Christmas, but it is not. 

 They are little tubes filled with sweats and treats, wrapped in pretty Christmas paper and then "Cracked" open by each pulling an end. What a fun tradition!!!

Well,that is all I will share for now about Christmas here in South Africa.

Wishing you a very

MERRY CHRISTMAS,

from Gina in sunny South Africa!

PEACE, JOY, LOVE : Our Nursing Home Ministry

Welcome to our nursing home service!

Peter always does such a wonderful job with leading the music!

Miss Margret playing the piano.

He is accompanied by the very talented Miss Margret.

She is one of the residents 

and can play about anything without any sheet music.

For this service, I had the priviledge of playing a flute prelude of Christmas carols.

The humidity made some of my keys stick, but the people enjoyed it.

There is nothing like the singing the songs 

about the Saviour to get your heart ready to hear the Word!

Pastor Jeff preached to us about -

PEACE,

JOY,

&

LOVE

PEACE: True peace comes from God~

Luke 2:14 

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

John 14:27 

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, 

give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

 John 16:33 

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. 

In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; 

I have overcome the world."

JOY: Joy comes from knowing Christ and living a life glorifying to God.

Luke 2:10 

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold,

 I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Luke 15:10

"Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence 

of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

 Nehemiah 8:10 

"Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

LOVE: God loves you more than anyone ever could!

AND

His love can be perfected in us, if we show His love to others.

John 3:16 

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, 

that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

1John 4:12 

"No man hath seen God at any time. 

If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us."

Please pray with us, for the dear people at the Winston Park Rest Home.

Christmas can be a very lonely time of the year for the elderly.

Also pray that the Word of God will help some to find 

the true PEACE that only comes through knowing Christ as Saviour;

and for others to have the encouragement 

that God LOVEs and cares for them and will bring them JOY, 

even in the lonely times.

A Day Away- trip to Tala Game Reserve

Since university is over for the year, 

I have had some extra time.

Now, if you know me well,

you know that I am always busy with something.

While, this break has given me a chance to catch up on some needed projects,

it has also made me feel a bit like a hermit (only going out for ministry stuff).

Our minsitry has changed alot in the past months.

During this time of year it slows down a bit 
because families are doing holiday things, people are out of town,...etc.

The rainy season also adds to the feeling of being a hermit,
 because you are indoors too much.

Finally, on Saturday, there was a break in the rain.

When I woke up and saw that the sun was shinning,

I decided it was a good day to get out and enjoy God's creation.

(Living alone in South Africa, limits me in what I can and cannot do,
 because of the crime and danger of doing things alone.  
So when I go on an outing I have to plan wisely.)

The Tala Game Reserve is within an hour drive from where I live.

So, I packed up a picnic lunch, my camera,

 binoculars, a map (oh, and some Christmas music), and headed for Tala.
~~~

Would you like to go with me?
Hop in the car and lets go for a drive through the South African bushveld.

Impala (maybe they think if they stand still, I can't see them).

Impala rubbing his horns in a thornbush.

Here comes a Blesbok.

Blesbok crossing the road.

What else do you see?  I see some Impala in the bush.

Egyptian Geese by the water's edge.

An Oribi eating at the greens on a tree branch.

One of my favorites- a Zebra.

Mama Zebra eating with her young.

A small water hole with Weaver birds nests in the trees.

One of the beautiful Weavers.

I sat and watched the birds for a while and then saw something in the water.
When I zoomed in, it looked like a large snake.
Its head was the size of the palm of my hand!

Let's drive around the corner.
Look!  What is up in that tree?

Its a huge bird!

On closer look, it looks like a Long-Crested Eagle.
This bird is a predator/raptor.  I wonder what he is hunting?

Here come some Kudu, grazing in the meadow.

This Kudu is pretty big.
My dad would say he would be a good one to hunt!

Mama Impala and her young (I think she is the babysitter.)

Lets go see what we find by the water's edge!

Sorry for waking you, Mr.Hippo!

Hmmm....bottoms up!

Oh, there you are - an Egyptian Goose!

Wildebeest taking a walk down the road.

This Impala appears to be lost.
She was calling for help - maaaaa, maaaa, maaaaa.....

Listen!   What else do you hear?
The sound is coming from that tree.

Its a Black-Shouldered Kite!
What a beautiful small predator/raptor it is!

The giraffe is also one of my favorites.
I love to watch him move!

This is the first time I ever saw one laying down.
He just laid there watching me shoot his picture.

This beauty, is as tiny as a finch, but with a long wispy tail.
He is a Pin-Tailed Whydah.
His tail is too long for his body so when he flies,
he swoops up and down through the air.
This was the first I have ever seen them up close!

Baby Giraffe are cute to watch.

Look how cute he is.
His horns are so fuzzy!!!!

Did you ever see a giraffe drink?
They have to split their front legs to get to the water.

Watch out!
Mrs & Mr Ostrich are crossing the road!

I liked this Nyala!
She made me think she was very old and wise
(and dad would say, "she would be pretty tasty too!").

Oh, the life of a lazy Blue Wildebeest!

Thank you for coming for a drive with me!

I hope you enjoyed our day away.

If you are ever in the neighborhood again, please stop by!

~~~

It was nice to get out of the house.

We don't realize how good it is for us to do relaxing things sometimes.

When your mind is always caring for other people's needs, 

it is important to get out and have some special time with the Lord.

I enjoyed having my quiet time today

 out in the sunshine in the beauty of God's creation!

As Christmas or busy times of your life draw near,

be sure you are making time to draw near to Him!