Sorry for the delay in adding a new blog entry, friends. We’ve been moving full steam ahead on all the fix-ups in our house, and it’s consuming most of all the time we have. Progress is being made, though, and we’re about ready to take a break on all the home renovations until January. Swahili studies have taken a hit for the last month, but we expected that while I was gone to Uganda and then with the move.

It really is hard to imagine that Christmas is almost here. Yeah, the local guys who stand in the lanes of traffic have their two foot tall fake Christmas trees their trying to sell, but it just doesn’t “feel” like Christmas. We are enjoying the lack of commercialization, but it is 90+ degrees each day with about the same level of humidity, and life just seems to be going along as normal. I will be preaching on Christmas Day in the Bugaruni church (with translation) so that will be good, and Holly is doing a good job at trying to decorate, play Christmas music, wrap presents and do a bit of Christmas baking. The kids are excited, and it is fun seeing the holiday through their eyes. In our devotion and prayer times, we continue to talk about various issues tied with Christmas, so I hope they feel the true reason for the season.

By the way, the other day our workers found a poisonous black snake in our back yard, and this evening, they found a small scorpion right next to the house. I hope the kids are getting the picture that Dad harping about wearing shoes outside is for good reason.

On another note, and a bit more serious, there is truly a spiritual battle raging, and my Western worldview is being tweaked by what I’m seeing out here. Life is not so cut and dry, black and white, as in America, and I hope to learn more and write about it. I’m working on an update on Uganda, and a video catching you up to speed.

May you have a truly God-filled Christmas as we celebrate Immanuel, God with us.

Eric