Our Churches and Pumpkin Carving

Our family is part of two different churches. On Sunday mornings we go to the Grace Baptist Church Chinese service so we can be exposed to spiritual language. We are gradually understanding more and more phrases and words. (I must admit, when I can't listen any more I pull out my Chinese flash cards and work on them during the service). During the Chinese service our children are in an Awanas program. They have been working hard on memory verses and earning badges for their vests and sashes. They love it!

Then on Sunday afternoons we are part of a house church composed of mostly missionary families. We meet on Sunday afternoons from 3:00-5:00. We meet all together as a group for singing and prayer then divide into three groups - adults, grade school children, and preschoolers. Keith and I teach the two children's groups about once a month, and today was our Sunday (we thought we were finished with Bible buddies :)) Even though most days still feel like summer here, we talked about autumn and some of the origins of Halloween. Instead of focusing on "jack-o-lanterns", we used the following poem given to us by a friend to share as we carved a very small pumpkin. Pumpkins are hard to find here, and I was blessed to find three small ones in the market behind our apartment for this lesson. I thought you may like to read the poem we read to the children as we carved it.

The Pumpkin Prayer

Dear God,

As I carve my pumpkin help me say this prayer:

Open my mind so I can learn about You;

(cut the top of the pumpkin)

Take away all my sin and forgive me for the wrong things I do.

(clean out the inside)

Open my eyes so Your love I will see;

(cut the eyes out in heart shapes)

I'm so sorry for turning up my nose to all you've given me.

(cut a nose in the shape of a cross)

Open my ears so Your word I will hear.

(cut the ears shaped like the Bible - a rectangle is fine)

Open my mouth so I can tell others You're near

(cut the mouth in the shape of a fish)

Let Your light shine in all I say and do! Amen

(place a candle inside and light it)