A Weary World Rejoices!

Mince Pies!

Merry Christmas!

Bringing the tree home :)

Our very first Christmas "bush"!

Christmas carols for Christmas time!

A few highlights from this season...

We bought the cheapest Christmas tree we could find- and it was still wrapped when we were picking it so we just chose one that looked pretty fluffy. We brought it home on my borrowed bicycle and the walk was a good half and hour. I guess that sort of thing isn't very normal because everyone stared- good thing we're strange foreigners already! When we unwrapped it instead of opening up into a nice tree shape it just poofed out into a lovely little bush! We bought some decorations from the Euro store and a lovely lady at church bought a few ornaments from a Christmas market for us (I was very blessed by that!).
Our "bush" remained light-less for the majority of December because of multiple light misshapes. Let me just say many many trips to different store trying to find a bargain (who knew that lights cost so much in Italy!). Once the lights were broken and once the lights were 120 blazing blue lights on a very short cord! About a week before Christmas we gave up and just borrowed some lights from a friend.  

Christmas Eve was very quiet- we literally didn't do anything it was very relaxing. Christmas morning we opened a few gifts and then went to church, skyped family in the afternoon, and then attended a wonderful little Christmas party with our Church family here who also didn't have family near. Italian food is wonderful, our friends are wonderful, and the Lord is good!

I won't lie and say I didn't shed a few tears due to the fact of being so far away from family. At times it was very hard to rejoice and remember what the true meaning of the Christmas season is about. But the Lord is doing a work and has called us to labor in the field! Over all we were very very blessed and hope that you were as well!

"The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined." -Isaiah 9:2