Merry Christmas!

Friends, Family, and whoever reads this blog . . . I want to send my sincerest Christmas wishes to you all (or y'all, I am in Texas but I refuse to say it, I am from Canada after all).



I may have a chance to update this before Christmas, but just in case the wireless isn't available, I thought I would do it now.

We just arrived at Christmas Camp yesterday and this morning we did a performance and tonight will be our last performance until December 27th! We were welcomed by Uncle Brother Doug in Laguna Park, Texas, which consists of 1 traffic light. Now you have to understand, if you have been in the ACC family for the last two years you would have met or heard of Uncle Brother Doug, and I have been hearing about him long before tour started. His church in Laguna Park has welcomed the choir this year for Christmas. We have been overwhelmed with the welcome we have received - even before we arrived we called ahead to see if we could get a tree, of course when we saw our accomadations a tree was up lite, and a train around the base.

Yesterday the huge grocery shop for 32 mouths over the span of 7 days was done by some wonderful aunties (I stayed behind to setup) and Uncle Brother Doug. I just got to hear some of the stories but let me pass them onto you - Angela was looking for coffee but didn't really know what kind would be suitable, no sooner was the request made and he was on his phone to a friend at a Starbucks making sure that there would be coffee ground and ready for the chaperones. As you can imagine after 3 months of the children jumping around and dancing in the same costumes - they smell to say the least - this was mentioned in passing and he told us it would be taken care of by the time we leave (they have to be dry cleaned, 22 children x 2 different costumes = 44 costumes!). Needless to say this man and his church eminates generosity, another quick example, he makes breakfast every Sunday morning before preaching to them. We walked into a room wafting of homemade english muffin (who knew you could make them?), french toast, and homemade cinnamon roll smells this morning. It was wonderful!! He was there flipping french toast in his camo apron.


(One of the fridges nice and full!)


I am sorry that my time has run out, at the moment the children are sound checking for the concert that will start soon. So I will hopefully be able to in contact with you one way or the other over the next few days.


On a personal note, it is hard to believe, even though its only 4 days away, that Christmas is here. Last year I somewhat knew that I would be doing this, but it was so vague it was hard to really picture. But I am missing my dear family and wishing that I could just have a taste of Christmas past with them. I think though that we (chaperones) are all trying to recreate Christmas with touches of home through recipes and traditions. We all know that it will not be Christmas as we once knew it, we are excited to share this holiday with our kids, but I know that I will have moments of homesickness and moments that I would just like to see and touch those that I love. I know that if I continue to surround myself with these wonderful 22 children and 9 new brothers and sisters I have adopted I will feel the love of Jesus on the day we celebrate his birth.
(Racheal - Mary and Patrick - Joseph looking for the stable)


I wish you all a Merry Christmas.