This week we completed the editing of the Christmas Program, so that might be a great place to start playing catch up.
The Nativity is a beautiful story, and even though we’ve enjoyed the reading of the Scriptures and the pageants numerous times in our teaching careers, each time brings joy.
Due to Covid, creativity in filming rather than performing on a church stage became the important issue. But, preschoolers dressed as sheep and kindergartners re-creating the Nativity scene are delightful any time. Fortunately, the weather held, so angels and shepherds were filmed outside singing The First Noel, While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks, and Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.
I caught the children singing incorrect lyrics, due to their vocabulary limitations, but they made sense anyway…
A preschool teacher reported that one little sheep sang, “Jingle bells, Batman smells. Robin laid an egg.” But God didn’t. Just at the right time He sent the Savior.
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing seemed especially prone to lyrical expansion: The little angel belted out, “Hark, the Carol Angels sing, ‘Glory to the New York King.’” Aren’t you glad, Jesus is everyone’s King (especially now)? Then one angel urged us to “Join the trial of the skies.” Triumph didn’t make sense to him, but certainly two sides drew lines in this Spiritual battle that Night. I also heard this: “Light and life to all He brings, Risen with waiting in the wings (healing in His wings). Tell me, does that not make sense to you as you eagerly await the Lord’s return?
The second graders added a delightful twist to We Three Kings when they sang, “We three kings of ba da da dar. Bearing gifts we travel so far!” There you go, the point is made that wise people from all over the earth will recognize the Messiah.
Kindergartners who have no idea what an inn might be said, “For there was no room for Him in the end.” But there is room in any believing soul; and as the fifth grade sang, we must, “Haste, haste to bring Him love, the babe, the Son of Mary.”
Zephaniah 3: 17 “The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Jesus is our Emmanuel – God with us.
We feel blessed that Hilltop is in the third quarter with no huge outbreak of Covid. We continue to operate with most students face-to-face, but about 10 families working on packets at home. True, some on our Across Nations staff have contracted the virus and are still struggling with the after effects. Our kindergarten teacher lost a sister and her dad to the disease. Most families have experienced trauma and death.
The Navajo Nation is basically closed. They have experimented with different kinds of curfews and lock downs, but it is the same here as elsewhere. Positive cases still push up the count, and people are tired of sheltering in place. The government would like to open more businesses, in a safe way of course. Because of the regulations, we as a school will not be able to welcome very many groups to contribute at the school. But some construction crews will arrive in March to help build the Radio building.
Please continue to pray with us that the virus stays out of the school and that families will regain some normalcy during this time of fruit basket upset. We also pray that Across Nations will be a beacon of light for a people floundering in fear and financial hardship.
May God Bless You All,
Unfortunately, I have no adorable children's photos to post for you...
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