Here's One I Made Earlier...

It may be freezing cold here- but it looks very warm in Peru. Here is a picture of Samuel Williamson and sister Jessica holding up the birthday banner we sent him last month.

Isn't that a fabulous looking cactus behind them! Speaking of trees and things, here is the Jesse Tree which we used at Housegroup last night [the idea from the David Coffey Advent book]

We took it in turns to talk about the image on each disc, and then fixed them with blu-tac them onto the Christmas Tree shape I had pre-drawn on the flipchart.

It seemed to work well - although we did struggle with one or two discs - the notes from the website I had used to download the images said that a scallop shell was traditionally the symbol for pilgrimage and baptism,so represented John The Baptist. We were not altogether sure about that idea!

I was really encouraged by how well people knew their bible stories, and were able too to link the Old Testament stuff with the coming of the Messiah.

I need to finish decorating my own Christmas Tree now - I've just returned from the church where the Sewing Group have put the big tree and the crib in the vestibule.

Here is the Nativity Scene which I put in the newsagents on Saturday morning. Marie said they have already had a number of positive comments about it, which is very encouraging. I must return to the baubles downstairs!