Merry Christmas 2018

We spent Christmas Eve morning with friends from our home fellowship having a yummy brunch and then worshiping together. The international fellowship that we attend here had a service on Christmas Eve that we attended. It was a beautiful time to remember why we celebrate. Something else new we did this year during the advent season was to read a chapter of Luke a day starting on December 1. It was a great way to get to know Jesus and the life he lived as we prepared to celebrate his coming. Our friend, Kanani, came to visit us and celebrate with us. She used to live in this city and we know her from Nashville, but not she lives in Minsk and teaches at a school there. 

Christmas Eve Brunch with the Stonehowers! 

Our kids with our friend, Mary, from our fellowship here

Kanani

Kids' Christmas Program

Our school had a Christmas program with the whole school participating. The Kindergarten and first grade did two songs together. We taught the kids sign language to go along with their singing since one of the students in my Kindergarten class is deaf. The third and fourth grades (Kate's class) did a skit and some songs throughout. Fifth and sixth (Anna's class) did a skit and some songs. The upper school (7-12) also did a funny rhyming skit that they wrote themselves. The other interpreter and myself were interpreting the whole program and that party was a little tricky, but we had a good time with it. Rhyming in ASL and spoken English are not the same. All of the kids did a great job and were ready for their class parties and last day of school the next day!

 

Happy 4 Months!

We have now lived in our city for four months! A lot has happened in the past month. We have had the youth Christmas party, the youth workers staff party, the school staff Christmas party, the kids' Christmas program at church, dates with the kids, school Christmas program, school Christmas parties, and now winter vacation! Yay!  We have had a long month and are so thankful for the break.