The Shumaker Family’s Blog

I wanted to take this time to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas.  God has truly blessed us here in Burkina Faso and we are forever grateful.

Last night, we had our Christmas Eve services.  We actually had three different churches having Christmas Eve services.  Unfortunately I can’t be at all of them.  I truly love the way we (our church family) celebrate Christmas together.  We started about 9 PM and finished after midnight.  We had about 85 present at Living Water Baptist Church.  We had 11 different groups sing specials and the youth did the Christmas Story.  At the end of the play, they quoted the birth of Jesus by memorization.  It was a pleasant surprise.  God Blessed and we truly felt like we celebrated the birth of Jesus together.

I wanted to tell my wife Happy Anniversary.   It seems hard to believe that nine years ago today, we were married in Jefferson, GA.  I have took my wife on a serious adventure these last few years.  It hasn’t always been easy but she has always been the woman that I needed.  She has stood by me when others haven’t.  She has encouraged me, when others did me wrong. She has always followed me, as I follow God.

I thank God for the godly wife that He gave me.  I don’t deserve her and I am forever grateful.

I love you darling.  You are the best.  I don’t know how I would have survived these last nine years without you, beside me.  I look forward to more wonderful years serving God together.  It is wonderful.

We had a wonderful and blessed time last Thursday night.  We started the service at 9:00 P.M. t with over 60 young people/adults and much to my surprise most of them made it until the next morning.  They left about 7:00 A.M.  I must admit that I was a wimp and left about 4:00 in the morning.

We had many teachings on the will of God.  I was moved as I thought about God’s will.  There was a time that I lived for me.  I lived for my dreams and my passions.  I lived for money and things.  It was all about me.  Then I got saved.  God changed my life.  The me decreased and Christ became my passion.  He became my all.  It wasn’t about my dreams and passions but it was about His will, His passions.

I praise the Lord for how He challenged our people.  God did a great work.  Thanks for your prayers.

I am very excited about tomorrow night.  We are planning on having an all night meeting.  I know, we are crazy.  We will start at 9 p.m. and finish around 6:30 a.m.  We are teaching on the will of God.  Please pray that God will work.  I want to see Him move and work in and through our people.