Christmas In Colombia

wow. Christmas time again.
For the last 3 years when Christmas roles around it doesn't feel like Christmas. In Africa the last two years they don't really make Christmas a big deal.
Oh boy do they party here though.
Today is Christmas day.
The last 2 days we have been working in this town called Madrid helping a pastor renovate a home into a christian primary school. We have been plastering, painting, cleaning, FREEZING, and still having fun.
Yesterday we worked for the morning and then got the opportunity to play Futbol (soccer) with some of the youth from the church. Futbol is huge here and we seem to play it a lot a lot a lot.
I am okay with that!!!
After the Futbol game we went to a Christmas Eve service and enjoyed the holiday spirit and also shared with the Church. After that we had the amazing privilege to go to the pastors house for food and celebration. Here in Colombia they celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve at midnight, and usually party all through the night.
It was a great christmas Eve, and today will be really fun with the team. I have some surprise gifts for them, and then later on we are traveling 2 or 3 hours to a church up in the mountains, in a really poor place of the city to minister and do a VBS with them for a week.

Lets back up a little bit.......
the 21 and 22nd of December we went to this little town called La Mesa (translation The Table)
A small town about 2 hours outside the city. we traveled there and then did a program in the park. The church had invited the neighbourhood to come and so in this park we shared the Gospel, some of our stories, and some of our rough dramas.
God was truly Glorified.
I see more and more that it is not us doing anything, but Jesus working through us.
We played some basketball and futbol with the youth of the church and shared in an evening church service.
The next day (22nd) we rested in the morning before embarking on a huge adventure in the afternoon.
The pastor that was hosting us really has a heart for the Native people, those living in the Jungle and also just those living in the country side.
So we decided to join him in his ministry in the countryside.
We walked for an hour and a half on a dirt road with a BEAUTIFUL view of the Andes mountains. The whole city of Bogota is surrounded by mountains and let me tell you that they are amazing.
So after walking we played games with the kids from the community and then shared with them about Christmas and Jesus. After we gave out christmas presents to the kids.
then walking back while the sun was setting i was thinking about how God is so good, how He blesses us so so much and how He can take the simple things we do and say and impact the hearts of people for eternity.
wow.
I am so happy i know Jesus.

Well that is what has been going on.
Please pray for health. A lot of our team has gotten colds (including me) because of the weather here and amount we have been going and going and going. Pray for good rest because a lot of the team has not been sleeping well (including me) and just that we will have lots of energy for this next week of teaching VBS. Pray that we will stay warm it is mucho frio (translation very cold)

My team is pushing through homesickness this Christmas, they are pushing through their comfort zones, and they are looking on the positive side always.
Wow.
I am blown away.
God is good.
All Glory to Him.

Thank you Jesus for your protection, thank you Jesus for your plans for us, and thank you Jesus that we are not doing this alone. Thank you that you carry us, and thank you that YOU change hearts and lives. I love you.