Sunday School Caroling 2012

Each year since we first arrived in Russia we have been involved in special Christmas cantatas and plays during the long holiday season. The only problem is that with us serving in Siberia, the time when most of these activities are scheduled to take place is usually during the coldest time of the winter. Often that means that people are not physically able to attend or have no desire to leave their houses or warm apartment buildings in -30 degrees Celsius temperatures! 

So, in an effort to teach my Sunday school kids to show kindness to others and be a blessing to the elderly and physically handicapped, we went caroling from house to house through the village! 

Honestly, I had been wanting to do this for several years but, when the temperatures drop often the kids also stay at home snuggled in their beds and only the most faithful ones come out to Sunday school. This year we had a good group of faithful kids and they were excited about doing something new.

First of all, we decided to go caroling on a Sunday afternoon just after our Sunday morning service. Most of the kids went home for lunch and we fed a couple at our house before gathering them all up in our truck. Going caroling on a Sunday worked out to be the best way to ensure that the kids would all be there as they promised. 

Cramming into the truck was just part of the fun!

Yes, it was a little "crowded"!

Here are a few photos from several of our stops.

We sang to this precious lady, Nina. She is Angelina's (the little girl in the photo) great grandmother.

We visited families of some of our SS kids and elderly ladies who are no longer able to walk and get out of their apartments without assistance. But, our last stop, in my opinion, was the most memorable for all of the children. 

The young lady seated on the right in the photo below has been a friend of our family's since we first moved to the village. We were introduced to her through the English teacher at the village school. She suffered a seizure when she was about six years old and the damage left her handicapped. Her family moved out to the village with the hope that it would help her. She has improved tremendously since that time. 

What a blessing to hear her mother, grandmother, and grandfather thank us over and over again for taking the time to come to "cheer them up" with our visit and singing. It was GOOD for the kids to see this eighteen year old girl in such physical condition yet she studies in school and wants to be just like them. 

I couldn't have been happier with the responses we received from these dear people we visited. What a blessing it was to me and what memories were made for the kids.

Traditionally, if you do something nice for someone or visit them around Christmas time you WILL walk away with more than you can imagine. Today was no different for us!

Here is our loot after all of our visits! We also gave away some candy bars before this photo was taken. The children divided up the candy among themselves.

I pray this was the beginning of a new tradition and that many look forward to it each year from now on!