It's Christmas Eve! Time for the festivities to begin! My roommate Paula and I are having the girls that are still in town over to our apt. We will do some baking, watch Christmas movies, and stay up late watching for Santa. Oh wait, nevermind, he came here already.
We have stockings hanging up, and we are filling them with fun gifts for each other. In the morning we will get to eat some American muffins (thanks to Aunt Gail's care package!) and open presents together. We will be pretending to be each other's family. Then in the afternoon one of the real families here is having us over for dinner. Hopefully I won't miss home too much. Even though I already do.
But... Tuesday morning bright and early, 5:50 am, the airport shuttle will be here to pick us up, and Lisa, Paula, and I will be on our way to Amsterdam and London! Hooray! I am so super excited! When I get back I will tell ya'll all about it and put up pictures!
Everyone have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
See ya in 2007!

The school has "Chapel" every Wednesday, and today was our last one before Christmas break. Elementary has theirs separate from Middle and High School. Today's chapel was devoted entirely to singing Christmas songs and reading scripture out of Luke. I loved it. It is so amazing to watch a bunch of kids sing (some shout) their hearts out with praise to God. Not that they all fully understand that is what they are doing. We sang some songs in Hungarian and some in English, and it is also amazing to hear them switch from one language to another. On Friday, the entire elementary is going caroling around Diosd to local business and houses. I am so excited about that also. I love all of these kids so much and pray that they continue growing in the Lord and will live lives that bring glory to him. Plus I just love Christmas! Can you tell?

I will leave you with words to a Christmas song/poem that I love. It was originally a poem, written by Christina Rossetti, and later made into a song. I remember when I was in 5th grade we sang this song in our school Christmas play. The words had no meaning to me then. Now, I really like them. Anyway, here it is.

In the Bleak Midwinter

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.

In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Enough for Him, Whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, Whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

Today is St. Nikolaus Day in Hungary. On December 5th, the eve of the 6th, all the kids leave their boots out in the windowsills. St. Nikolaus comes around and leaves candy in the boots if they have been good, and rod if they have been bad. I think most kids get lots of candy and a small gift of some sort. St. Nikolaus was a real man who lived in the third century, in what is today Turkey, and was know for his "secret" gift-giving to the poor and children. Over time his legend turned into what we know today in America as Santa Claus. It is fun the way they celebrate it here, more true to the story I think. There is your fun Hungarian fact for the day!