Little Sponges

We had about 50 kids today. Heity did a wonderful job teaching the kids and leading them through a related craft about Moses.  All of our teachers do a great job teaching the kids Gods word in their own language.  It is not easy teaching 50 kids that range in age from toddlers to high school and keep all their interests.

Yolanda does a wonderful job leading the kids in action songs that the kids love so much. Father Abraham is one of their favorites.

We received our mail only once last week.  Everyone is getting Christmas packages.  They are going to have a package avalanche on Tuesday when the next mail comes in.
Thank you to the Monica Wiggens family for three boxes for the kids Christmas.  Monnica has been teaching her family to give to others almost from the beginning of our mission on Kwaj. Thank you also to the Robert Darby family for two boxes for Christmas for the kids. 

Saturday Is Last Day

Saturday is the last day to mail your Christmas presents for the Marshallese kids.  Go to my Nov. 8th blog and get all the directions. It is a gamble as to whether it will get here before Christmas if you mail it later than Saturday.  We only receive mail on Tues. & Thurs. & the PO is busy around Christmas. Go to the Post Office and get a large APO/FPO box. Take a couple hours to go to the dollar store and buy $20 worth of toys, games, coloring books, crayons, books, summer cloths, etc.  Take everything out of the packages, put it in the box, tape all the seams shut (it is a gov. box), address the box to the address on my Nov. 8th blog. and pay $12.50 to mail it to me for Christmas for the kids. We wish you all a blessed & joyous Christmas.

Your Blessing is Needed

December is here and Christmas for these children depends entirely on your generosity.
If you can help these children have a blessed Christmas the mailing dead line is Dec.10th.  You can put the packages in the mail the week after that, but it becomes a gamble as to whether it will arrive in time for Christmas. They can use any size summer clothes (we have more boys than girls), toys, games, balls (take the air out for shipping), coloring books & crayons, books, tooth brushes & paste, soap, & shampoo. The girls wear their hair in pony tails so they can use anything to put their hair up. Bless your children, your Bible class, or your church  by helping others have a blessed Christmas. Look at my Nov. 8th blog (two blogs ago) for our address & mailing instructions.

Christmas Mailing Dead Line in 25 Days

We had a great worship service this Lord's day.  It rained coming & going from church but it was not a down poor and we had a good crowd.

The kids love to sing and listen to the stories from the Bible.
If you, your family, your Bible class or church can help the Marshallese people have a blessed Christmas there are only 25 days left before our mailing dead line.  Instructions are in last weeks blog. Blessings to all.

Time To Get Busy For Christmas

It is time to get busy for Christmas.  We will be having our Christmas on Ebeye in the school class room this year. 

The Marshallese people's needs are great. Toys are always wanted most by the kids. You can take the air out of the balls to make more room in the box.  Lee and I have a hand pump we can put the air back in them before we carry them to Ebeye. We can use any size non-stained, clean clothes. Keep in mind that it is always summer here. The customs of the people is for the girls to always wear a dress or skirt and blouse with short sleeves and shorts underneath so they can play and not worry about anyone seeing their bottom. The boys pretty much wear everything that American boys would wear in a warm climate. Shorts, long pants, T-shirts, etc. Almost everyone wears flip-flops and sandals.  Personal body cleaning products, soaps, shampoos, tooth brushes, tooth paste, etc. are always needed for kids and adults.  Our youngest kids are toddlers now and toddler size diapers are always needed. If you can help in a big way or the smallest way, anything and everything is so appreciated by the Marshallese people.
The only way to get a package to us is by the US Postal Service/Priority Mail. The post office will give you an "APO/FPO" box in two different sizes (usually found in the lobbies). You can stuff all you can in the box (with any amount of weight) for the same price. We have sent some really heavy boxes that way. When you bring the box back it will cost $10.95 to mail the smaller box and $11.95 to mail the larger box. It would be best to reinforce the boxes with tape since they have so far to come and there is so much Christmas mail. Of coarse you can take any box to the post office to mail to us by priority mail but the weight will matter in that case. Since the box is going outside the US, you will have to fill out a white customs form (also usually found in the PO lobbies) that they will attach to the outside of the box. The packages need to be mailed NO LATER than the week of Dec.10th. Anytime after that would be a total gamble as to whether it would get here in time for Christmas or not. Lee and I have to carry everything to Ebeye on our backs, so we need the time to make more than one trip. Address it to: Lee & Avis Cummings CMR # 701 PO BOX 1652 APO, AP 96555-0017  If anyone wants to send a check please make it out to Avis Cummings (not to the c of c) and I will spend it on the cost of our Christmas meal and taxi’s from Gugeegue.  God's Blessing on you all for your help.