Three Street Children at the Stone Church

From Dec 23rd till the 27th

there was Christmas Festival

at All Saint 's Cathedral also called

Paththar Girja or Stone Church.(above-main entrance)

Each evening different groups presented

the Gospel message through music dance,

skits and the spoken word.

The cathedral is situated right in the city center
and since it was an open air event
it drew large crowds from all
walks of life specially non-Christians.



We went on the last night . There
was an audience of more than
five thousand people.People did not mind the cold evening air. The Cathedral is more than 100 years old and
is an important landmark of our city
It has been awarded the status of
a Heritage site.

Here we were under the impressive
facade of this magnificent building.

In the audience

Namria,Mishael, me

(front) Rayguel and Abner

This young man . a gifted preacher

and musician , captured

everyone 's attention.

He really has the gift of evangelism.

In the midst of this throbbing melee

came three street children.

Awestruck by the dazzling lights, music

in the electric atmosphere.

They walked right up to the

stage, spellbound by the display of

sound and color.

Mouths open,

black eyes aglow in wonderment.

Their thin tattered clothes

and bare feet provided no protection

from the chilly wind.

What is this

so far away from our slumdog world?

Dwarfed by huge TV cameras,

speckled by blinking digital cameras ,

confused by buzzing mobile phones,

they stood -

almost frightened and overpowered.

When Jesus walked on earth

people from the fringe of society,

the poor, outcasts, lepers,

people of ill-repute and

the downcast followed him.

He ignored no one.

He called out;

Who touched me?

Come down from that tree,

I want to come and eat at your house,

What do you want me to do for you?

Allow the little children to come to me.

He peeled away their tattered clothes of

disease, shame and sin and sent them away

whole in body and soul.

He still gives beauty for ashes.

(Abner and Rayguel riding a toy train)

Here are 2 videos from the Festival.

Saying it with Roses

Happy New Year Everyone.

We had our New Year worship service.

In India most churches Happy New Year have New Year 's Eve

services and morning service on Jan 1st.

Christian institutions (except hospitals)

are closed whereas other places

are open for business.

Mishael and Rayguel gifted

Nani a bouquet on New Year.

We had lots of visitors after church

and during church!!!.

So we had lunch at about 3.30.

We shared our food with our helpers and

a shut-in aunt.

We had lamb pilaf

with a potato and yogurt salad called raita

and popadoms.

Happy New Year....may peace break into your home

and may thieves come to steal your debts.

May the pockets of your jeans become magnets for $100 bills.

May love stick to your face like Vaseline

and may laughter assault your lips.

May happiness slap u... across ur face and

may your problems forget your home address!
(I found this on Facebook)

Since the past 2 days our weather has turned cold,

rainy and foggy.But today we had

weak sunshine. The whole of North India

is in the grip of a cold wave.

Many people have died of the cold.

Abner and Rayguel doing a puzzle
with Sonia watching

Sheeba under the table

puzzling it all out.