Christmas in Yumbe

The Tuesday before Christmas we had the honor of encouraging the Christians in Yumbe, a district to our north.  The church we celebrated Jesus' birthday with had never had a Christmas "party" before and it was SO MUCH FUN!!!!

Billy shared the story of Jesus' birth from both Matthew and Luke's gospels and we enjoyed a more formal worship service together...and then it was GAMES and silliness all afternoon!

 Billy with Pastor Gift.

 Our dear friend Mambo Charles (here holding Elsie Jayne) is the one who invited us to this church, where Billy has visited many times.  He also thought it was a great idea for us to dress up as "Father and Mother Christmas" and pass out candy.  CRAZY TIMES!

We tried to find shade against the church building to watch the silly games!

So much fun!!! A three legged race, sack race, egg race, and the ELDERS race!  Too hilarious to watch the over 40s run, down a whole soda, and then finish the run.  Yes, I'm sorry, but when 50% of your population is under 14...40 is considered an "elder."

We stopped by the health centre where Mambo's wife and our good friend Joyce works as a mid-wife. We got to see two new babies she had helped birth in the night.  She works 24 hour shifts for a month at a time!!!  She sleeps in her office to be ever available.  Mambo got to go and stay with her for Christmas!  This couple is COMMITTED to serving their community and we are committed to helping them be a light for Jesus in a dark place. We thank Jesus for their friendship.

Mambo, Joyce (holding Lucy), Elnai James (in back...a Sudanese friend who arrived this day and is staying with us this month), Joanna and Elsie Jayne and then Rebecca (a friend of Mambo and Joyce who traveled with us for the day)!