50 for 60

My parents have always wished people a very real Christmas. Not a happy, prosperous or merry Christmas…but real. This year I finally get it. I think this is what Jesus hopes for each of us. A very real Christmas. A Christmas where we would stand apart from what society says Christmas is and not just accept it. A Christmas where we would dodge all that consumerism throws at us. A Christmas where we would respond to bringing about ‘peace on earth’ and not simply sing about it. A real Christmas. One that we really make about Jesus. His life. His hope. His love. His call for us to be imitators of him. So…Connect invites you to have a very real Christmas alongside of us. It may not be as glamorous, or pretty or flash. It may not be as full of boxes and paper and toys. However a real Christmas is deeply satisfying, soul nourishing and grand. It has in it the potential to change the trajectory of lives…of those giving and those receiving. A real Christmas. Sounds sort of daring….don’t you think?

To see how you can be involved alongside Connect this Christmas....read details to the right!

Mary

Part of my hope for Connect continues to be that Australians, Americans, Kiwis and the Irish (we currently have sponsors from all four countries) and others, would alongside of us, urgently seek to bring justice to people who need it. Furthermore that those responding would extend beyond adults to include children. Colin and I have 5 children and expect that each one would have an acute awareness for the urgent need to seek justice. Our hope is that their faith would not simply be about carrying a membership card in their back pocket but rather it would be a faith that has implications for every aspect of their lives.

Ben and Natalie are a couple who have given substantially of their finances and their energies to the Karen people. Through their generosity they have significantly impacted lives here in Thailand. However, I believe, some of their greatest impact has been in their family. Their girls (they have three little girls under the age of 5) watching and listening to their parents have begun to copy (as children do) the behavior of their parents. Their eldest girl is Mary and recently, after saving for a long time, she gave all of her pocket money ($46) to Baan Puk Dek Nakrean. I was able to use that money last week to buy a volleyball net and ball for our students. This was an exciting gift for each of them and they were so thankful. The students were grateful when I told them that even children in Australia and other countries are seeking justice for them and showing generosity toward them. Mary had thought she would use the money to buy Care Bears but having watched her parents give to the Karen people, she wanted in also. What a huge challenge for us as parents. Are our children always asking for the next thing? Are they always saving for the new toy? Perhaps to foster generosity in their hearts, we need to first foster it in our own?

Below is the letter from Natalie.

Mary has saved her money and she has $46.00, she would like you to "give the money to the poor people please". Mary said "they can buy whatever they want". We will transfer the money to your account now.

Mary would like to keep on giving her money to the poor people, Mary and Katie would like you to say hello to our sponsor child Supapon.

Thanks Ruth, l was tring to write exactly what she wanted to say... l'm very happy that she choose to give you the money instead of buying some Care Bears!!!