Christmas Party on Tea Island (Year Two)

Margaret, Elaine, and LiWen came to our house to plan the 2012 Christmas party. The tea house can only hold around 80 people, so they decided to focus on Christian friends and friends who are studying the Bible already. This party was a great union and celebration of three main groups: Friday Bible study group, JiuLian church, and our Sunday church family. We planned to host a lunch buffet and Elaine and Margaret volunteered to buy some food, fruit, and drinks. GaoYan volunteered for more food and decorations. GaoYan also talked with Shelly of JiuLian a lot about the planning as their group was ready to help.

The day of the party at 9:00 a.m. Gerald, Bill Gates, the Hardin family, Shelly and LinLi’s family came to help set up. We decorated with balloons and red paper stars and set up tables. Teacher Liu from our Friday night group brought children’s tables and chairs.

Margaret did a great job hosting the party. Josh had 10 test questions about the birth of Jesus. Adults and children volunteered standing up to answer questions and Josh gave out chocolate as a prize. Shelly helped Josh with translation. It was a fun activity. We also sang a few Christmas songs.

Next we handed out strips of red and green paper and asked people to write down a thanksgiving from 2012 and their new-year wishes. We joined all the rings together to make a long chain of thanksgiving rings. The children, ladies, and men held the chain and took group pictures.

Then we had some Christmas performances. Linda invited the music teacher from ZheJiang University who sang Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art. She is a Christian. Linda also invited a children’s group to perform from her parent’s church here in ShiMa (stone horse). Margret’s daughter played violin. LinLi and Clint sang some Christmas songs.

Afterwards the lunch buffet started. We had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, sausage, tea eggs, corn, homemade cookies, brownies, and all kinds of snacks.

This year’s Christmas party combined and included a lot of groups together. It was a great celebration About 80 people were counted.