What is Gena and why do we celebrate it?

BRRRRR - it's a weee bit chilly here in Nashville today and while the boys are at school I thought I would stop by for a second and fill you in on what we are up to today. If you have friends who have adopted from Ethiopia you may have seen some posts last night and today saying Melkam Gena. Today is in fact Christmas in Ethiopia as well as places such as Bethlehem, Athens, Moscow and others that follow the Julian calendar.

So what is Gena? If you ask Tariku he will tell you it's the day he gets to eat all of his favorite Ethiopian dishes in one sitting.  If you ask me I will tell you it's Ethiopian Christmas - Jan 6th and 7th are known as the "Old Christmas Day" since that is the original designation of the birth of Jesus by the 1st christian roman emperor Constantine, in 325A.D. But in 1582 Pope Gregory XIII changed the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar and in doing so the Catholic church moved the celebration to Dec 25th. Since the Eastern church did not have the same beliefs in the pope they did not change their day.

I have been fortunate to be in Ethiopia for Christmas and I can tell you it is greatly different than ours. Church services would begin at 4am or so - everyone dressed in white - candles given out - there was not Christmas splashed in every store or restaurant. No sign of Santa Claus - no in Ethiopia Christmas is far more spiritual - far more simply about the birth of Jesus. And then once church is finished it is time to spend with family and friends. 

 So tonight our Ethiopian American family will celebrate we will dine on the boys favorite Ethiopian dishes, we will talk about the boys birth country it's past it's present and it's future and at the very end we will give our gifts to one another.  So from the Hammons house to yours we say 

"Orphan Sunday isn't about charity; it's about the mission of Christ. I pray that every Gospel-transformed congregation will observe Orphan Sunday, calling all Christians to our mandate to image Christ by caring for his little brothers and sisters, the fatherless of the world." -- Dr. Russell Moore, author Adopted for Life

On November 2nd, Christians around the globe will stand together with one goal: to rouse believers with God's call to care for the orphan and what our role is in response.

Does your family, small group or church have plans for Orphan Sunday? There are so many ways that we can honor orphans collectively as the Body of Christ on Orphan Sunday. If you don't have plans or haven't heard of an event near you, here are 4 ways you can engage in this year's Orphan Sunday:

1. Advent for Orphans Calendar -- see explanation below.
2. Orphan's Table -- share a meal eaten by orphans around the world. Gather with family, small group or church for the meal, discussion and prayer.
3. Plan an Orphan Sunday event with a Partnership Package -- easy-to-follow Orphan Sunday event plan, enabling you to partner with an organization to create a simple event!
4. Contact your Regional Orphan Sunday Coordinator with questions, to seek ideas as you plan, or to let them know that you will be holding an event.

Be sure to also check out their other resources which include videos, prayer guides, sermon notes, t-shirts & more! Together, let's stand for the orphan!

To learn more about Orphan Sunday or find an event near you visit OrphanSunday.org.

Get your FREE Advent Calendar & celebrate with purpose! 

See how your family, small group or church can celebrate the anticipate the birth of our Savior in a special way that also shows love to orphans.

Limited supply of Advent for Orphans calendars available! Learn more & order your calendar today at www.lifesongfororphans.org/advent.

Our Holiday Wish ~

It's NOT about us ~ through the eyes of an 8 year old!

Greetings ~
 I really had no idea HOW materialistic I was (I actually thought I really wasn't!) until Tariku entered my life.  When you live a life with less than the bare necessities it is AMAZING what you think about on a daily basis.  For Tariku his mind often wanders to how he can do for someone else, what he can share or give to make another person's day.  About 5 or 6 times a year he comes to me and says he has to go through his toys and give some away.  This past week was once again that time and so he did - 1 by 1 he went through toys and books and asked Teddy to go through his.  In the end they had a large bin, a trash bag and a box full of toys.  Typically we load them in the car and off to goodwill we go but being so close to the holiday I took to facebook to see if there was a place we could take them so Tariku could SEE the difference he was making.  Within minutes and thanks to the power of social media I was reminded of a most amazing event happening on Dec 7th called Help Portrait. (please take a moment and check out what this fantastic group is doing around the world)

Fast forward to Dec 7th - I had a wedding in the morning and as I was leaving Tariku reminded me mama today today is the day to deliver the toys to boys who may never have had any.  So just after noon as I returned from my wedding he and I loaded the expedition and off to Cross Point church in Nashville we went.  I wasn't really sure what we would see or if he would actually get to SEE the joy he spreads when he does what he does. But I did not need to worry - the doors opened and there were lots of kiddos having their pictures taken for the very first time!!  With the help of some wonderful elves we brought in Tariku and Teddy's toys and dropped them off at the foot of Santa.  IMMEDIATELY Tariku said look mama look they really like the toys look at them playing.  And in that moment I was reminded in this season it really is NOT ABOUT US.  It is rather about what we do to make someone's day, to feel valued, to feel important, and most importantly to feel loved - all which we so often take for granted.  So thank you Micah, GraceAnn, Jeb, Myrick and Jeremy for allowing Tariku to SEE the true reason for the season with his eyes.  He hasn't stopped talking about since we left!

Some photos from our time @ the Help Portrait event.

Jeb and GraceAnn take a look at the goodies 

A sweet boy already ready to check out the goodies

Tariku and Jeremy (aka Adler's dad from school!)

Ornaments 4 Orphans

Greetings ~
I hope that Nov is going oh so well for you.  It is so hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner and with that comes ALOT of Christmas trees.  I wanted to introduce you to an organization based around just that ornaments and Christmas trees!  I know I know what you are thinking how can an ornament and/or a Christmas tree make a difference in the life of an orphan?
Well let me introduce to you Ornaments 4 Orphans (an initiative of Pearl Ministries) - the concept is really pretty simple - Buy an Ornament. Bless a Child
Today there are 3.2 million ugandan children orphaned due to AIDS and you can make a difference all while decorating your own home for the holidays.  Proceeds from the sale go directly toward enriching the lives of vulnerable children and building their communities.

From the Hammons House to yours ~

Santa Signs!!

Greetings -
While Kylee (the boys cousin) was in town this week we decided it would be a great time to see Santa! You know all 3 cousins on Santa's lap for the holiday photo.  So off to Gaylord Opryland we went.  And of course the kiddos were thrilled to see the jolly old man himself.  And there were requests for water for my sisters, large transformers and pretty dolls.  But yet there sat Teddy he didn't understand the questions being asked.  He doesn't know the names of the toys he loves.  He has yet to really understand what Christmas is.  But when Santa signed to him his world changed!  His face lit up - this man understands me!!!  Santa can talk to me!!!  And so Teddy told him in his own way about bay blades and transformers and cars!  So I want to thank you Santa for that moment of happiness in my little boys eyes!  That moment that there was no difference in Tariku, Kylee or Teddy.  The moment that allowed ALL 3 of them to be kiddos and believe in your wonderment!

Merry Christmas To ALL!

Wishing you a MAGICAL Day ~
Courtney
(aka a grateful mama)

Happy Thanksgiving

From the Hammons House to your house we wish you A very Happy Thanksgiving 2011!  May the holiday season be off to all things MAGICAL

Kenneth, Courtney, Tariku, Teddy, 

Oliver, Annie, Touchet and Pepsi