Symanzik Family Update

This song is really good.

Listen to it at YouTube...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzI73MngRaw

This Little Babe

This little Babe so few days old is come to rifle Satan's fold;
All hell doth at his presence quake though he himself for cold do shake;
For in this weak unarmèd wise the gates of hell he will surprise.

With tears he fights and wins the field, his naked breast stands for a shield;
His battering shot are babish cries, his arrows looks of weeping eyes,
His martial ensigns Cold and Need and feeble Flesh his warrior's steed.

His camp is pitchèd in a stall, his bulwark but a broken wall;
The crib his trench, haystacks his stakes; of shepherds he his muster makes;
And thus, as sure his foe to wound, the angels' trump alarum sound.

 My soul, with Christ join thou in fight;
Stick to the tents that he hath pight.
 Within his crib is surest ward;
This little Babe will be thy guard.

 If thou wilt foil thy foes with joy,
then flit not from this heavenly Boy.

 Robert Southwell (1561-1595)

During Vacation Bible School this past summer, our sending church in Michigan had collected many items for us to put in gift bags for children here.

We were able to share 60 gift bags this weekend with children at a "Birthday Party for Jesus" our friends, James and Jocy, had for children in a poor area where they hold weekly Children's Bible Club meetings.

We shared 31 gift bags the previous weekend with another Children's Bible Club James and Jocy run as well.

91 gift bags passed out and I'm already making plans for at least 120 bags for next year!

Thanks to everyone who helped by donating toys, toothbrushes, etc., or money for this venture!

Carrying in boxes of gift bags and two coolers with frozen juice bags for the kids.

A cute picture of Kirsten helping James walk down the path.

The kids waiting for the "Birthday Party for Jesus" to begin.

Another picture of the kids.

Mikayla, Kirsten, and Ben helping with a game that is sortof like the American pie eating contest. Each big bag held 10 small snack-size bags of treats. Each child on each team of 10 had to grab one of the treats and eat it quick. Which ever team ate all their treats first, won.

Kurt breaking a clay pot full of candies for the children to get. It reminded me of a pinata game.

This game is like bobbing for apples. A cocount shell is burned and cuts are made in it. Pesos are wedged in each cut. The children try to get a coin out with their teeth!

Mikayla, Kirsten, and Ben passing out gift bags.

Checking out the gifts!!!!

December 5th the girls played in a Christmas Band concert at the school's newly finished auditorium/performing arts center. It is a big blessing to have a nice building for the performances to be held in. The covered court could be very noisy when raining while the bands and choirs were trying to perform.

Of course we've been baking and decorating some Christmas cookies!

Last weekend we passed out Christmas goodie bags to very poor kids in a squatter area near by. Our friends, James and Jocy, run a weekly Bible Club for these kids. They provide an excellent ministry.

This is a recent picture of the kids grades K - 12 who attend Faith Academy here in Davao.

We are very thankful for the good education our kids are receiving at this school dedicated to teaching the children of missionaries.

The world had been a bit fuzzy for Kirsten the last few months.

We had her eyes checked a week or so ago and now she is happily wearing her new glasses and enjoying clear vision!