Low Furness School

Today saw us agian at Low Furness School. We took Gary with us and the children responded well to his silly behaviour as they learnt the real meaning of Christmas. Gary could not understand why the big present Sarah had which look great and said on the label the best present of all - was infact an empty box. Until Sarah pointed out to him that the empty box was cross shaped. She reminded the children that Jesus was God's gift to us on earth and that Jesus died for all sins - so He is the greatest present ever given.

We are taking a break for Christmas now but will be back doing assemblies in the New Year.

We would like to wish all our friends and supporters a very Happy Christmas with all of God's Blessings for the New Year.

Mark and Sarah

Croftlands Infant School - Christmas Assembly

Today saw us once agian at the Infant school. It is such a delight and a pleasure to enter into the school with all the children getting excitted to see us, and more so today as we took along Gary. The nursary children also came to join us today which was great. Gary was his usual funny self as he mis-understood the meaning of Christmas. Sarah pointing out to him that it is not all about big presents but a tiny baby in a stable born to be the Savior of all. The assembly was finished off with a couple of action songs their favourite - Our God is a Great Big God and their other favourite Inright, Outright.

Tomorrow is our last Christmas assembly and last assembly for the year.

Mark

12th and 13th December - a Busy Weekend

What a bust week end we have had. On Saturday we were over in Millom for their Christmas Festival. Between 12 and 2pm we managed to do two magic shows and on both occasions gave a Christian message to the on lookers. The first crowd had to be sort out from among the people which is always a hard task to do but the second crowd were left over from a school choir that had sang just before us. Bertie the Clown performed a number of magic tricks (despite the very cold temperature) and involved a number of members of the crowd adults included. Towards the end of each performance I (Bertie) said that they had watched a free magic show and been entertained and I asked them to listen a little longer to a Christian message. Some people walked away but the second crowd did not, which was encouraging to see. Each time I mentioned Christian, Jester for Jesus or something, someone cheered from the crowd. As well as people from the crowd saying it was what Millom needed to hear.

Today Sunday we have been away over on Walney preaching God's word at Spring Mount. Again a very enjoyable time. Sarah and I told a modern day version of the Lost Son from Luke 15 and I then went on to preach about the Love God has for us in Jesus.

This coming week we will be in schools agian doing our final two Christmas assemblies to Low Furness and Croftlands Infant school.

Mark

Christmas Assemblies

This seems rather late as I have been so busy ... But last week we did the first of our Christmas Assemblies at Croftlands Junior School. The children got very excited to see us particularly when they saw the puppet stage and realised that Gary was coming. Gary as usual got the whole Christmas thing wrong and had a very, very long present list, that grew and grew as more children shouted out things for the list. We then explained to the children the true meaning of advent and Christmas by opening one of our special presents which had nothing in it despite a label that said the Greatest Present of All. The box then fell apart to show a cross. Which is the whole reason for the season.

The same assembly was also done on Thursday up at Windermere Junior School. The children welcomed us very warmly and great a very enthusiastic response when we asked them could we come back. So we are looking forward to 2010 when we can visit them again.

We don't have any assemblies this week but we have two next week one at Low Furness and the other at Croftlands Infant School. However on Saturday we are going over to Millom to a Christmas Market were we are introducing the people over there to Bertie the Clown.

Please continue to pray for us in the work we are doing over this Christmas time.

Mark