Found a Christmas Tree - Music & Live Nativity - Christmas Day Feast - 16 Baptisms in one day

We visited a hotel in town and wow, there was a lot of Christmas decorations. Sometimes we liked to just sit in the lobby and enjoy it.

The grounds of the hotel had some amazing flowers blooming.

There was no table available inside, but outside we were accommodated with outdoor heaters 

At our main chapel and grounds, we had a wonderful Sunday Christmas event. Each church branch had prepared a song to sing. And there was a fun, live nativity demonstration of the birth of Jesus Christ, Shepherds, wise men and more. Beautiful and touching.

A song was performed by our wonderful blind sisters.

Someone did this compilation video showing a small clip of all the groups.

Hundreds attended and nearly a hundred people did not have a chair to sit on. Many more came than expected.

Children singing along to a song while waiting for cake to be served.

Elder and Sister Tohiariki having fun upstairs in the church taking pictures of the program below.

Our friend, Mickey

Our friend Hawi. I should have worn my Oromo cultural dress. 

We went to the church for District Meeting and noticed some strange construction. A closer look revealed a church window open and some workers installing a light. 

Their drill was especially suspicious as the cord was bare-wired directly to some coax cable???!!!  

On Christmas day all of the missionaries got together for games and a big feast. Sister Martin talking with Sister Nwaokonko from Nigeria.

We brought the fruit and made mashed potatoes. No curry this time...

We've enjoyed attending baptisms lately. One day was a special day for my counselor, Demeke's wife, Amele Work, who got baptized. On the same day around the mission, 15 others got baptized. We heard about 7 of those were in Awassa. 

Missionaries are working hard to spread the good news of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. So many are changing their lives for the better and working hard to follow Jesus. The Spirit of God is pouring down upon us all and we are so blessed to be a part of the miracles happening here.