Christmas Choir in Santa Maria - 2013

6:30 pm last night.  The choir members came on time!
(mostly!)
Everyone was so excited for the Christmas Program!

Looking like a real choir.  My blouse looks better on D'Luz.
The choir is saved!  I will take photos and man the lights!

With new shoes and his smile, Adilson is ready!

Ready to begin!  Kinda hoping for an audience...that would be such a special bonus!

The choir began!

A Scripture read, a Christmas Hymn, and then a 2-3 min.
video ...continued over and over until all 7 Scriptures,
hymns  and videos were given to honor our Savior's Birth and Life.

And with the Opening Carol, the audience trickled in.
They came!

Andy, our kind apartment guard came!
Atou's brother came!
Alberto's friends came!
Three investigators of the sisters came!
A tall young man the elders are teaching came!
Elder and Sister Smart came from Espargos!
A newly (this morning) young elder returned from his mission
in Brasil and his family lives here now.  He came as a last minute surprise
to all of us, and will be such a blessing here!

Our Bread lady came!!
Afterwards, she was very quiet, and asked if she could
make an offering to help us with the church.
We explained that none of our leaders are paid.
We all serve because we love our Savior.
That the offerings paid in our Church are to help those in need.  We explained the process briefly for Fatima,  that
in our little group the offerings could be paid on the 1st Sunday of the month.

Even the children seemed reflective during the videos, scriptures, and Carols.

When Mariama sang Silent Night every heart felt those words.

We cut the cakes in smaller pieces!  No one noticed...and all were fed.
Everyone stayed and visited for quite some time.

Gildo and Samira came with their beautiful family!
He is the man who came up to us on a bicycle shortly after we arrived in Santa Maria.
We have been in their home many times.  He has brought us fish, we have taken
them the Scriptures. Last night, they all came! 

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Seems to me, Heavenly Father always puts bows on the endings!

****************

  Gave my talk this morning, walked and talked like a normal person
throughout the day...our last day on Sal.
We set up the chairs, Gerson's TV,
and the elders and sisters helped finish taping our 'official' choir programs.

This evening, I put a tablecloth under the cakes on the table,
arranged the blue napkins
hoping people would come,

We welcomed everyone

I turned the lights on and off at the right times, except for once
and shooed the dogs out the best I could during the program.
It was a great day.  A blessed ending.

And we shared handshakes and high fives and hugs and when Samira cried,
I was composed and tried to be gracious, oh how I love these good people.

********

It wasn't until we got home that I had to take some time out.
I sat down and cried and cried.