Dear Friends,
I just left the book fair. Deb Lucier and her helpers have done an outstanding job making it fun, attractive, and very appealing to children. Today the children can actually purchase books. They are thrilled! We love to make our kids happy don’t we? I’ve been having a wonderful time planning just the right gifts for my grandchildren and anticipating their faces when they open their gifts. Why do we
love to give gifts? I believe it is because God delights in giving to his children and we reflect Him! After all, Christmas
is the celebration of God giving the most costly gift of all,
His Son.
We’ve all heard a great deal about how commercial Christmas is in our culture so I won’t beat that dead horse. I do think there is a place however for
thoughtful, responsible giving because it
reflects and honors God. This year, as usual, we are providing our HCA community two more ways to do some thoughtful giving.
1.
Orphans in Belarus (350 children)
2.
Christmas Shop (Dec. 8-next Friday! See article below)
Please read the short article and pictures of Olga and Yasha Goncherenko’s, Spring of Revival, ministry to the orphans of Belarus that is included above. Their ministry is very close to our hearts. We have been a part of it since it began about 18 years ago when a friend, Steve, went on a mission trip to
Russia with Holden Chapel. Olga was a young, single woman and served as their translator.
She asked why mission groups seldom came to her country
. She shared her passion for orphans with Steve and he came home and started promoting the ministry.
Some of the first kids in Olga’s ministry now work with her to serve the next generation. We love them dearly and want to support their ministry every way we can.
So this year, as you toss yet one more gift into your basket at the store, please be mindful of the precious little ones who get very little, if anything, for Christmas. Please help purchase some chocolates to delight their hearts and help them know that
somebody somewhere cares about them. Our students will make cards to send in with the donations and we always hear back from them as they make cards for us.
You may send cash or checks. Please
make checks out to CEC and put
Spring of Revival on the note line at the bottom.
We
love because He first
loved us and we give to those in need because it honors and reflects Him, the giver of EVERYTHING!
I hope to see you all at the
Christmas program on Thursday, December 14
th
at 7:00 in the sanctuary.
God bless you all,
Susan Hayward, Principal
