A Note About the Template..

You may have all noticed the HUGE gift box on the blog. I was trying to look up some themes which were about Christmas (when we're going) and some snow (to reflect the place we're going to - Omagari where it snows heavily!)

However, the gift box is because during our mission we'll be doing a skit called 'The Gift' and it's about how different people respond to the gift of the gospel, the gift of grace.

Some people are too busy doing things in their lives, and when the postie knocks on their door, they're too busy to answer and they just ignore it.

Some people don't think they're good enough that anyone would want to give them a gift, so they reject it.

Some people accept it but they're too busy doing something else (in the skit, they're watching TV), so they just put it aside somewhere to look at when there's nothing else better to do.

Some people are REALLY excited to get it, they wave it around when they get it BUT they don't open it; they just adoringly stare and stare at it with a HUGE grin on their face and they put it where everyone can see it, and when they get sad, they take it out and look at it from time to time.
 (This is the part I'm playing, hehe!)

so beautiful... but it remains unopened.

While the last person is really happy to get it, and they open it and inside they find the most BEAUTIFUL gift ever (the gift of salvation into an intimate relationship with God) and they are so overjoyed to get it. All of their neighbours come to see what it is and wish they got something like that too :)

not to be comical, but it's a powerful gift!

It's a really cute and meaningful skit that will probably be used as an opener for the Christmas message :) Many thanks to Cerise for suggesting it.

Really excited about it, please pray that:

• God will use it to challenge people in terms of how THEY receive Christ and the true reason why Christmas is celebrated by Christians, especially when Christmas in Japan is only a commercial concept from the West.
• our team will be able to practise and coordinate with each other because it's quite an animated and enthusiastic skit! 

the postman will knock on each person's door, delivering the gift.

What will your response be?