Recruiting for Uptown

Louise Stuckert invites us to participate in Uptown
Childrens' Ministry

Thanks to Louise Stuckert, who came to the Ocheltree Shepherding Group last Sunday to recruit for Uptown Childrens' Ministry.  Louise is putting together a "data base" (that's electronic-eze for a list of volunteers) of people who want to participate in the blessing of teaching our children on Sundays.  The teaching assignments are two months apiece, beginning with a January-February, 2013 assignment.  Teachers can work in arts and crafts, storytelling and drama, active games or history and geography.  The curriculum is all prepared for the teachers and is very user-friendly.  You will be blessed when (not if) you volunteer!  Be sure to add your name to Louise's data base.  You can catch her on Sunday mornings around church or contact her by email at: lfstuckert@gmail.com or dalestuckert@att.net, or by telephone: (Home) 559-298-0561 or (Cell) 571-213-7564 (Notice different area code!)
--Posted by Mama O.

Candy Cane Lane

A beautiful show

The trailer full of Christmas party-ers

A crowd of around 50 gathered for the walk down Candy Cane Lane

Meeting at Farmer Boys after the walk

Gaskin, Waltiere, Johnson, and Fields Family

Linda Sue, Florence Bedoian, Nola and Harlow Dawson

The Sue grandchildren (and Lauren Gale)

 A group of around 50 people gathered to enjoy the lights on Candy Cane Lane in Clovis and eat at Farmer Boys afterward on Sunday evening, December 16, 2012.  The Sue Group organizes and hosts this event and invites the entire church and friends to join them.  Thanks, Veronica Sue, for the great pictures!
--Posted by Mama O.

Angel Tree-The Sequel

Robert and Robyn Gonzales and Cindy McGrady with
the Angel Tree gifts on Sunday, December 16, 2012

Our church family gave 110 gifts to 55 children with the Angel Tree ministry this year.  Angel Tree provides Christmas gifts for the children of parents who are incarcerated.  These videos are a brief sampling of the fun our men had shopping for children's gifts on December 3.  What a joy to participate in this wonderful ministry!

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me somethng to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'"  Mathew 25:34-36 (New International Version)

Christmas in Firebaugh

Gary Pendleton's car looking like Santa's sleigh

Gifts and food for the family

Gloria Ramirez and two of her three children with their gifts

The Ramirez family Christmas-2012

Thank you to all who helped provide Christmas basket food and presents for the Ramirez family in Firebaugh!  Gary Pendleton delivered the gifts and food on Saturday, December 15, 2012.  We are indeed blessed, as a church family, this holiday season, to live out our Lord's words: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35
May the peace and joy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, be with you all this Christmas!
--Posted by Mama O.

Refugee Christmas Party

Mama O, Tout Tou Bouthapanya and Dia Martinez

Traditional Lao Dancers

Russian Refugee Choir

Children act out the nativity play

My bowl of soup

Dia Martinez and Sam Chang at the soup cauldron

It tastes like chicken...really!

Dia Martinez and I attended the Christmas party for the Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministry (FIRM) at their office on Fresno Street, between Clinton and McKinley avenues, this afternoon.  When the Hmong girl offered me hot sauce on my rice, I asked for more and she hesitated.  I complained that ethnic people never want to give white people hot sauce because they think we are all wimps.  I will never say that again at a Hmong occasion.  Their hot sauce makes the hottest Mexican salsa taste like ketchup!

The mission statement of FIRM is "Sharing Christ's Love To Build Communities of Hope With New Americans."  There are a variety of ways to become involved with the numerous ministries FIRM does within the community.

"For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.  He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.  And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt."  Deuteronomy 10:17-19 (New International Version)

--Posted by Mama O.

Cookies for Habitat for Humanity

Homemade chocolate chip

And chocolate crackles...

Iced oatmeal raisin

Cookie Central!

Mushroom and leaves...just testing your attention span!

Thank you to all the wonderful bakers who brought in fresh, homemade cookies to distribute to the Habitat for Humanity volunteers at Christmas time!  It was an exercise in self-restraint, hauling all those cookies across town to the Habitat office and not eating them!  May God bless each of you for your generosity in baking and giving and may God bless the wonderful volunteers who receive those cookies and the love in each bite!
--Posted by Mama O.

Ladies' Ornament Exchange

26 women gathered at Robin Button's home for an evening
of fellowship

Hostess Robin  Button lights up the whole room with her necklace!

No wonder ladies are always on a diet!

Ornaments for all!

Ladies enjoy the holiday warmth

Thank you, Robin Button, for hosting a lovely evening of fun, food and fellowship, in your home on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012.  Seriously, it's no wonder we all have to diet all the time, with so many good cooks in this crowd!  New recipes and old traditional family favorites were all part of the light buffet supper.  Each guest left with a new ornament for her home and, more importantly, deeper bonds of love and friendship with her fellow women of College Church of Christ. 
--Posted by Mama O.