Angel Tree

Those of you who've attended First Baptist Church of Stockton know all about our annual Caring Christmas Tree gift-giving; here at International Church of Bangkok, we've started a similar tradition, only we've dubbed our trees "Angel Trees." ICB gives financial support to 14 ministry partners here in Thailand, and each month focus on a different ministry partner with a newsletter write-up and visit to or from the partner. I have been on the Outreach Committee for the last two years, and last year I chose to be liaison for Concordia Welfare and Education Foundation (concordiathailand.org). Because they have a daycare in the slums in Bang Na (a suburb of Bkk), we chose to place them as our December partner so they would be the recipients of our Angel Tree gifts.

ICB Sunday school classes helped us make the angels way back in September

They did such a good job!

Each angel was then labeled with a child's name from Concordia's Daycare program, and hung on our  little trees at church during November and early December. Members chose angels, signed the gift tags, and sponsored the gift it would be attached to. The angel ornament then went home with them to be placed on their tree as a reminder to pray for that child and the community. 

Clipped wing?

Singing?

Pastor Stewart and Laura's daughter Anna helped us cut the ribbons to tie to the gifts

Writing the Christmas present tags

Labeling gifts

Khun Dang giving her presentation at ICB evening service

Mary and Joseph :D

adjusting his ram mask

Pastor Stewart's daughter Anna was the "star"

The kids sang a song for us

Group picture

Enjoying their chocolate candies

Heading into the slum community where the daycare children live

Giving gifts to members of the community

Heading deeper into the slums

We prayed for this woman(older, on the left), as she lost her husband and son in a car accident, and this is now where she lives, in the small 'room' behind that open door

One of the worries for the slum community - that bit of highway jutting out to the left there - if the city ever decides to extend that, the community would all be demolished, displacing all the inhabitants

Me and Khun Dang