Fisher Family's Christmas Reunion
A Time to Minister Locally
by Dale Fisher
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Our Family Reunion The entire Fisher family had a great time together over the Christmas holidays. We treasure times together as a family, particularly now that all four of our children are either married, working in San Diego, or away at college. Not only Marti and I, but all of our kids put a high value on spending time together as a family. For us, it's very special to have everyone here for Christmas Day, making it truly "a family affair."
We exchanged gifts, but also just “hung out” and talked and caught up on each other’s lives. Adah had just returned from her semester in South Africa so it was great hearing about her time there. It was this personal connecting that made it a very special Christmas day for me.
In the first reunion photo below (click to enlarge and read its caption), with Adah's return from South Africa the week before Christmas, you can see that all seven us, plus Andrew's dog Jerry, had a wonderful reunion.
The accompanying family photo shows the four Fisher ladies wearing hand-made South African skirts that Adah had made there.
• Our Local Ministries
Caroling This was our seventh year in a row to go Christmas caroling in our present neighborhood. We not only enjoy it, but also see it as an opportunity to meet and deepen relationships with neighbors as well as share truths from God's Word through song. I handed out personalized invitations a few days before the event so that people know when we are coming. One family had bottles of water and granola bars ready for each caroler and another family gave us candy canes. One lady who is old and infirm invited us to sing to her in her living room. Abby's boyfriend even played his trumpet to accompany some of the carols. This is such a fun and meaningful ministry that our numbers seem to be growing every year. This year we had 20 carolers. After the singing the carolers gathered in our home to have some Christmas goodies and conversation. Next year, if you are in our area, you are invited to join us.
Bread Baking Marti and I had fun baking small loaves of cranberry bread this year. I did the hard part of grating the orange rind. We wanted to use it to personally greet some dear friends in the New Year and to express our love to them. They belong to a home Bible Study group from our church that has adopted us from the list of missionaries our church supports. They have given us support in so many ways and have gone the distance to help us on our mission projects. They have given us their time, prayers, and funds, to let us know that they are behind us. We just wanted to take a time to express our appreciation.
As we went to each home, we listened for ways that we could pray with each person. We were able to pray with the first person whose husband was sick in bed. The wife in the second home we visited asked us to lunch and shared her food with us. They have a son who is a missionary and we enjoyed interacting and praying with him. At the third home we visited, we just stayed a minute since the lady of the house was working. Then at the fourth place, the couple wasn't home. At the last place we went, our friends invited us to watch the Rose Bowl with them. We had a great time and this was the first time that we didn't have one of our kids home with us on New Year's Day.
All in all this Christmas, it was a joy for all of us to celebrate Christmas together. We made the effort together to let the light of Jesus shine through our hearts and into our neighborhood and community.
Our Family Reunion photos
The Fisher family on Christmas day, in front of their Christmas tree. From left to right:Adah, Dale, Marti, Abby, Andrew (holding Jerry), David, and Anna.
The Fisher ladies model their new South Africa skirts that Adah made after retuning from abroad. They are all also wearing scarves that Marti bought during last month's visit with Adah.
• • Click each thumbnail photo to
enlarge it and read its caption. • •
• • Re-click it to reduce its size. • •
Our Local Ministries photos
Christmas Carolers Collective
The Fishers' "2009 Christmas Carolers" collective smiles as they practice in the Fisher living room.• • Click to enlarge; re-click to reduce its size. • •
Bread Baking Ministry
a batch of her colorful cranberry batter.
loaves of delicious cranberry bread that Marti baked.
Marti holds two of her gift-wrapped thank-you gifts.
Here's Marti's cranberry bread recipe, compliments of Ocean Spray.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:17).
Dale
