Christmas Greetings

Feliz Navidad from Mexico City, Mexico.

Christmas has to be our favorite time of the year as a family. We just love every part of it. This year Mayra did some special things, establishing some family traditions, including the lighting of an avent candle on the 4 Sundays before Christmas, and the eating of a Hersheys Kiss every day for 20 days before Christmas. You can imagine which tradition the kids like more.

The year will be extra special, as we are flying up tomorrow to be with Gma and Gpa Fry for Christmas! I (Rod) will be then flying to St. Louis, MO, for the Urbana conference. This year 25,000 college students are expected to attend the event.

Last night we put on our first annual church Christmas Drama, a drama called A True Christmas (Una Navidad de Verdad). We rented a 6 meter by 12 meter tent-like canopy structure, with 70 chairs and another 30 small chairs for kids. The place was totally packed out, with people lined up all along the walls and many people outside trying to look in. A church member who is a professional artist painted our backdrops, and another member of the church provided spot lights, colored spot lights and a sound system. It was a wonderful time. Mayra led 20+ kids in a Christmas presentation called "The Message of the Tree." The kids were all dressed in green crepe paper with candles in their hands. If you know just our kids you know this was risky...let along 20 more! Sure enough, one little boy almost went up in flames...but the fire was put out quickly!

We do the drama one more time tonight, at a municipal property that we got permission to use, in another neighborhood nearby. Then tomorrow we fly home to PA.

Thanks so much for your support and prayers during this past year. May God grant you all a merry Christmas.

Rod for Mayra, Daniel, Cathy and David

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