Hoping

The Nativity figures are set up in the bandstand in Mourão's main square. The town is always quite dark at night because of the Dark Sky designation, which means that all the towns around the Lake have agreed to have dim, yellow streetlights, looking downwards - so it's extra lovely to have a few more lights for Christmas. And I love the simple, understated way they decorate here, and that it's all to do with the real story of Jesus' birth.

Beginning to wonder how much culture shock we'll have flying straight into Birmingham on Monday...

Reading for today was from Matthew 15, about how Jesus took the seven loaves and a few small fish, and fed a crowd of four thousand men, not counting women and children. Verse 37 says:

They all ate and were satisfied.

That's the sort of King we are hoping for - who takes our meager offerings of time, energy, abilities, resources - and makes it enough for everyone.