thankful Christmas

It was a late night wrapping presents and blowing up balloons, an early morning rolling out pie crusts and baking quiches, but it was all worth it for one of my very FAVORITE days of the year, EBS Staff Christmas Party.  We had 100% turnout this year, and had cinnamon rolls, quiche, papaya and fresh pineapple, tons of very intense hilarious games, a beautiful time of reflection on the past year, tons of laughter and good conversation, celebrated a birthday, passed out Christmas presents, and had a photo booth.

I'm just so thankful for this precious group of men and women, working hard and serving alongside.  Each person pictured here is an answer to prayer, and it's impossible to know all the ways that God is at work here in Haiti and around the world through these people, from my husband always taking courage to the last night watchman, always ready to serve.

These men and women work really, really hard all hours of their days and weeks, involved in all the ministry happening here on campus, and an awful lot ministry not here on campus.  They are there for our students 100%, many of them having students interning at their churches, coming for Bible studies in their homes, eating with them, and at least 2 students I know of LIVING with staff members.  

The newest member of our family, Anne-Yolie, said it best.  When giving her "newest member" speech, she timidly said, "The way everyone is with me is always just so KIND," she said, and Fanfan burst out, "Because that's the way we ARE!" and it's just true.  The ways it seems like we love and respect and value each other are because we genuinely do, and I'm just so thankful for these men and women...serving up rice, opening and closing doors, fixing leaks, helping with papers, preaching, traveling, visiting, discipling, teaching, modeling. 

We also have some really incredibly randomly talented staff members...some of whom caught over 30 m&m's in their mouths launched from 6 feet away in 60 seconds, some of whom could sort them with spoons in their mouths ridiculously fast, some of whom could pop balloons like crazy wearing two oven mitts, and some who could keep two balloons in the air for a record amount of time :)

The "dance the ping-pong balls out of the kleenex-box tied to your rear-end" game is always everyone's very favorite.  I was crying. Again.

We also had a REALLY incredible company (Scoby Brothers of Sabetha, KS!) make us these gorgeous EBS logo umbrellas, and everyone was SO so thrilled...like, wouldn't put them down :)  So thankful for their incredible partnership.

The girls are still testing, we're all still working this week, and then on to Christmas break...but for today, I'm just really really thankful.