Christmas concert

Our pastor here at AUI organizes a Lessons and Carols service every year open to the community. Since Muslims believe in the virgin birth of Christ, this is allowed and is attended by about 400 people.

Our little choir made up of university students, professors, and teachers from a nearby orphanage sang several songs and led in carols.

All six children in our church sang "Away in a Manger" during the program. Those of you who know our children's history on stage (turning around in circles, picking noses, lifting up dresses, looking miserable, standing with backs to the congregation ... basically anything but singing and smiling), will be pleased to hear that the girls both sang, smiled, and did the actions! After it was over, Kendra said, "Mommy!" and lept into my arms over the greenery and the egde of the stage!

We were instructed to all wear jalabas - the national Moroccan clothing. These are loose-fitting gowns you pull over your head. You can wear anything you want underneath, because no one will know! Jalabas have hoods at the back making you look a bit like the grim reaper if you have a black one. When Katrina saw Gerald in his jalaba, she said, "Daddy is wearing a dress!" She loved hers so much that she slept with it the week before the program.

The other choirs that performed were made up of sub-Saharan Africans who have immigrated to Morocco and who have made new lives here, or those who have escaped to Morocco over the Sahara and are living in terrible conditions. In spite of their circumstances, these people know how to REJOICE on stage! They simply can't NOT dance. Moroccan brothers and sisters cannot make a public appearance like this, although there was one Lebanese brother who sang.

It was a rich time with Scripture read and songs sung in about 10 different languages reminding us that the Body is made up of many parts!