Gobble Gobble

This year’s Thanksgiving Feast was wonderful. Many people came forward to help out in various ways. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

We had over 70 people helping over the course of the week, over 36 volunteers attend and help out during the feast, and over 115 internationals attend the event. And there was food and fun for all.

The evening started with bus rides and people arriving, signing up for a drawing, getting name-tags, hanging up coats, finding a place to sit, and chatting with new and old friends. This whole event is centered on Christ, His love for us and our Thankfulness, and one of the ways we try to share that is by serving, loving, and welcoming others into this event and our lives.

The event started with a mixers called Human Bingo, to get people up and meeting people who to sign their Bingo sheet–have you ever met someone who has been to Antarctica, ridden on an elephant, or can speak three languages? Then the whole group prayed a traditional Thanksgiving prayer, and while some tables were being excused to get their food others played a table mixer, learning more about those they are sitting with.

This year, because of scheduling conflicts, we weren’t able to have live music or a drama. I trying to think of how to entertain people, especially kids, and share the meaning of Thanksgiving. When about half of the attendees had their dinner, I played “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”. It was a huge hit, to the point that some parents were asking where their kids were, only to find them in the front watching the movie. I’ll have to keep that one in mind.

After dinner I gave a  presentation on Thanksgiving, a little on the history but mostly on traditions and the  Biblical basis of the holiday. I really wanted to point people to God as our sole provider and worthy of praise and thanks. After the presentation we played a “Thanksgiving Jeopardy” game, with the winner receiving a small Christmas tree, and second place receiving a Turkey hat.

Thank you again, to all who prayed for us and this event, to all who donated their time and talents to this event, and to all who donated their treasures to this event. This was a wonderful event, and really allowed us a chance to not only introduce people to Thanksgiving and share Christ’s love with others, but was also a wonderful opportunity to learn more about God and His amazing love for us. Thank you again.

Side-note: I had been praying consistently for two weeks prior to the feast that God would bring 150 people to the event…And providentially…we had over 151. Amazing.

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Hopes and Realities

Leading Bible studies is always interesting. What I mean is, because they are free, and for students, you never know what to expect. Add to that, weather conditions, people’s own family and health conditions, and if they are students themselves, their own academic load…wow, it is almost amazing that people attend.

In our society, too, we tend to make judgements by numbers as to whether or not something was a success; and so, selfishly we do the same.

Rachel and our family have been sick the last few weeks, especially Rachel and Micah. Still feeling sick today, she asked if I would mind teaching the women’s Bible study this morning.

Two weeks ago, at our last Bible study, we had over nine moms, plus volunteers, plus everyone’s children. This is a great size group, and yet with children going in and out from their moms in study to the childcare room it is incredibly noisy and chaotic. It is a wonder anything get’s accomplished…thank the Lord for the Holy Spirit, as it is evident He is at work through it all.

So back to today, only two moms were able to come, each with a child, and three volunteers, one with four children. It was a much smaller, much more intimate group. Now at first I thought like society, a little disappointed in the lack of attendance. But it has been raining since the early morning, and who knows the many other details of why people are not able to make it.

However, I am also very thankful for the small numbers. I think back to the prayer I pray before every event and class, “God bring who you want to come, both international and American. Prepare our hearts for each other, and may Your Spirit push us to take the opportunity to share and learn more about you.”

God moved these four ladies to come, and brought them to this study, to move in their (and my) hearts. One lady, a Chinese, is a new Christian, whose English isn’t the best and so needs more time and opportunity to take-in, understand, and ask questions. This was meant for her. The other, a Korean, is not a Christian, but we have seen plenty of evidence that God is moving in her life and her heart. She is hungry for answers and Truth, and Christ; this was meant for her. We all needed this; the volunteers too, and me, as we read and studied God’s Word. He moved in our hearts, brought new understanding to us and blessed us.

Large groups are fun and exciting, but small intimate groups are just as important, if not more so.

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