Our 2nd Christmas in Uganda!

Many of you have been asking how our Christmas was here this year, being so far from home... or what we did to celebrate the birth of Jesus... So we thought we'd post some pictures from the day!

First, on Christmas Eve, we went to Michael & Angela Kelly's house (they are WGM missionaries that live in Kampala~ the capital). There were a total of six families, 13 kids, & a partridge in a pear tree! And we had a delicious dinner, just like home... ham & all! The Kellys were so gracious to open up their home to all of us. And it really was so helpful to be with so many other families and friends during the time when we are missing our family & friends back home extra!

On Christmas Day, first we went to our field director's house, Jon & Lisa Mayo, for brunch. It was good to just be with a family & see all the presents their two boys (Jordan & Ethan) had received & eat some more yummy food! There's just something about being in a home with children, piles of wrapping paper & good food on Christmas Day!

After spending a couple hours with the Mayos, we went to our good friends, the Ironsides (pictured left)... you may remember seeing them in our videos & pictures from last Christmas. And you may have seen Pamela Ironside in our blog before~ she, her husband Kevin & their 4 kids, Christian, Blake, Addison, & Collin have become very close friends of ours over the past year here. This is the same family that took us to the orphanage last year to be a part of fifty precious children's lives. And this year was just as special!

Pamela invited about 12 of the neighborhood children and a couple of the parents over to their house, and she allowed us to be a part of celebrating Christmas with them. We made cookies for them & had snacks, read the Christmas Story to them, watched a Christmas movie, played outside in their yard, & even made snow! My sister, Ashley, sent us "snow in a box" last year for Christmas, and we finally got to use it! It was the first time for these children to ever see snow, and they each took a turn making it~ it was so fun! After all the Ugandan children left, the Ironside boys & I played with the snow & it was hilarious! Here we are, in Africa, in 90 degree weather, in shorts & t-shirts... playing with snow!!! We had a blast! Thank you, Ashley! :-)

Here are some pictures of the Ironside boys with their friend, Andrew, "playing in the snow!" Andrew, the Ugandan pictured here, was so precious! It was so unforgettable to see this grown man, jumping up and down, almost singing... "This is my first time to see snow!"... over & over and just genuinely having fun! We'll have to post a video of it later! What a memorable Christmas this has been for us!







Pamela also prepared a little gift bag for each of the children with candy, a small toy, & a t-shirt... The t-shirts we actually donated to John & I by Christ United Methodist Church, the church we attended when we lived in Mississippi. They were extra shirts from a VBS there, that my friend Rachel sent us to share with the children here. We are so thankful for her & so many others of you who have reached out to the children & people of Uganda to share what you have with those less fortunate, who don't have much. Pamela went over to visit some of the neighbors today (the day after Christmas), and she told me that all of the children were washing their new shirts! So cute! They need new clothes so much, and they appreciated these simple t-shirts more than many of us Americans would appreciate a whole new wardrobe. Thank you, Rachel & everyone at CUMC!

It was really nice this year, again, to be able to focus on the true meaning of Christmas... the gift of Jesus Christ, born for every single person on this earth. And all we have to do is be willing to accept Him, trust Him, and love Him in return for the gift of salvation and TRUE joy, happiness & peace in this life and the next!