December is naturally a very busy time of the year. I made many visits to families. Sometimes I was accompanied by Americans. They bought a lot of food, made some packages for very poor families and delivered the food in different areas. Also, I provided two elderly women with wood for heating their homes this winter. These ladies were both widows. They were so grateful for the wood that they both started to cry. During our visits I saw a family and other elderly women who had no light because they could not afford to pay their electric bills. I purchased two oil lamps and gave it to them but I wish I could have done more.

Our children's Christmas festival, which was held on December 18, was very successful this year. I worked with the children who came to our house programs to learn Christmas carols. This event meant a great deal for our church. As usual, we had to work a lot to organize things but we praised God for the necessary approval we had received from the authorities. Thank you all who prayed for us and for this event. It was a real delight to see over 50 children dressed up as angels and marching through the town together with the missionaries, church members, and other followers holding up large poster boards with the message of the Saviour's birth. We even had a car fixed with speakers broadcasting carols accompanying us and a large police escort to clear the roads of vehicles while we were moving along!

It was impressive to see the Gendarmes who oversaw the maintenance of public order helping in such a way that we were able to carry out the event. Hallelujah! After the parade, the festival, "The Saviour's Birth", continued through presentations put on by groups of children from different ministry areas such as Pestra, Stoienesti, Daneasa and Comani. They prepared carols and Bible verses. The church youth group also sang some carols and put on a skit. Approximately 2,300 children received gifts. We gave them out in different ministry locations such as Comani, Coteana, Stoienesti, Corabia, Draganesti-Olt, Daneasa, Pestra. In some of these places gifts were handed out at the kindergarten or schools, but for the rest we found other places.