My wife made me these two African style shirts, which I’d have to put in my “favorite” Christmas gift column. On the left are two avocado given to my family by a young lady with nothing more to give but a desire to bless. They would have to go in that same column. Both were given with a spirit of love and heart to bless, as was the “gift” this day was named for. All was accomplished. Merry Christmas!

The ROC kids

Christmas has come and gone in Rwanda. I would love to have spent it with my family in the U.S. at a temperature below 85 degrees with a feast and football game after church. The season here has passed without seeing a single Christmas-based advertisement or hearing a single Christmas jingle. It has passed without seeing an angel tree, or hearing Christmas tunes being pumped through the mall. It has passed without a special sessional Sonic drink. There were no Christmas parades or lights on homes.  Yet, for all the “no’s” there are plenty of “yes’s”. I have my lovely wife and daughters with whom I enjoyed celebrating. Family and friends from the U.S. blessed us with some gifts shipped thousands of miles at horrendous rates. We have wonderful colleagues to share the holiday with who also mourn the distance of loved ones on special days. We were blessed to worship with a wonderful community in a facility that was no doubt a “yes” from God to go and do His work. We enjoyed the events our school and church hosted as wonderful ways were found to project the love of baby who would become the King to a community of beautiful people.  Tomorrow much of the world returns to its folly with many forgetting what stopped them for a moment today. JOY, PEACE, LOVE, HOPE, FORGIVENESS …  they don’t stop today.  May your Christmas be the beginning of 364 more days of the same.  Let your Christmas be a “yes” for tomorrow.

——————————————–
Donations:

ROC Partners
Attn: Jeanise Morton
3007 NW 63^rd, Ste 205
Oklahoma City, OK 73116
Memo: BH

http://www.rocpartners.org/hixsonshttp://bryanhixson.wordpress.com

If you would like to partner financially in this ministry through a 12-12-12 plan (or give another amount one-time or monthly) then you can go to ROC Partners and click “Donate to the Hixsons” to schedule credit card or checking account partnerships. To those of you already praying for us and/or giving to our financial need – THANK YOU!

KICS Elementary Christmas Play

KICS enjoyes a number of community events in Nov-Dec. In November KICS hosted the Festival of Fun previously known as the Fall Festival. In December KICS hosts multiple Christmas events including this play presented to students and parents by grades K-4. The second showing will be Thursday evening (Dec. 8).

KICS Festival of Fun

However, if I’m honest with you that is not all that the season makes me think of. Just a couple of days ago I was wishing I could go to Home Depot where I knew I could get a couple things we needed for a project. I was wishing I could run into Kohl’s to pick up a new pair of black dress pants realizing that mine are sun faded from repeated drying on the line. I wished for a moment that I could run into Quizznos and grab my favorite sub sandwich.  I wished there was a Sam’s Club to pick up a flat screen, which we’ve learned to manage without for the past 53 months. I wished I could run to Wal-Mart or Target to grab a few things for my daughter’s upcoming birthday. I began to lust over the Hardware department of Sears and the electronics of Best Buy.

For that moment I found myself lost in what I couldn’t get my hands on, but what I wanted. Then my daughter put a movie on the computer and from a distance I began to listen. I found myself drawn in quickly and pulled up a chair and watched the story I’ve heard a 1000 times as if it was the first – “The Nativity”. The paradox of simplicity and complexity of this timeless story held me captive.

A baby is born. The world around him moves no different than at any other time. The baby cries and cattle and sheep are disturbed. The baby is a king and yet he sleeps in a box where cattle are fed. The baby’s mother has just given birth to God and names him Jesus. The stable reeks of manure and urine as God sleeps in the presence of animals. God’s well being as a baby is placed in the hands of a chosen teenage girl and a simple carpenter. This baby would become the salvation of the world, but on this starry night this baby is completely dependent on simple faithful servants.

This day would be like none other, as these servants of God, now servants of a baby, had become parents to a king before a court of cattle and sheep and a few smelly strangers from the field. The wise would later join them and honor a call recorded as the Star of David. In that simple night so long ago our world changed in a relative silence that screamed of hope through Hosanna in the Highest.

As I thought of new clothes I desired I saw Mary wrap Jesus in a simple cloth that survived a very long journey on a donkey. As I thought about my favorite big burger at Chile’s I saw Joseph give Mary the only food he had. As I thought about desired hardware from Lowe’s I realized that a birth just took place with not a single medical instrument, doctor, or midwife in the stable – except the “great physician” who was being birthed.

I realized that God had come to be with us. I realized that hope had entered the world. I realized that for a moment much of the world stops and listens to the sound of hope amid the noise of dispair. I also realized that much of the world celebrates – not a birth, not a hope, but a shirt, a bike, a car, a tie, or a toy.  I realized that many have sent me to share that hope. I realized that His provision is your hand reaching out to make a difference. I realized that His provision is your prayer anointing my family to His service.

I realized that without you my family does nothing. I realized that your gift is a compounding of God’s blessing. As you bless us, we are able to bless others. As we bless others they do the same. That birth was the beginning of compounding blessings for generations. Your gifts help us to share the timeless gift of Jesus.

As Christmas approaches and you consider what motivates your celebration, please consider compounding your blessing. We would be blessed in your partnership with us and know that God will bless you in your faithful giving.  Consider a gift off $10/month ($120/year),  $100/month ($1200/year), or maybe even $1000/month ($12,000/year). Any amount given monthly or one-time is a blessing to us that is compounded through service to others and through the blessing received in giving.

GIVING METHODS

• Monthly bank draft (contact us for a form)
• Credit Card 1-time or monthly can be done securely from http://www.rocpartners.org/Hixsons
• Check: use address below

Contributions to the Hixson’s ministry in Rwanda can be made to:
Rwanda Outreach & Community Partners
3007 NW 63rd, Ste 205
Oklahoma City, OK 73116-3605
Memo: BH

While I haven’t seen Bill more than once since graduation in 1987 I can quickly recall the goodness of his heart from those days of youth.

I believe it was 1976-77 the first time I met Bill. At that time, I was a less than popular 3rd/4th grader who was a bit chubby and shy. I stayed to the background while desiring to become part of the foreground. Part of my memory of that period was teams choosing sides and often being the guy left out. I’d make my way over to a lonely swing and sit on it wondering how I might make my way into the crowd of desirables. While it would be some time before that would happen there was a change that occurred with the arrival of a new “stallion” of sorts.

That “stallion” arrived sometime into the school year. He seemed tall although that was probably reflected more through his thin build, dark hair, and new running shoes. He seemed to wear a permanent smile, and joyful demeanor that immediately attracted most every kid across at least three grades including me. While I can’t remember details, I remember him making a significant impression on the boys with what seemed a strange desire to run. I remember him running around our rather large playground with many other boys following behind, but unable to keep up. I knew I couldn’t keep up so I kept my distance and watched what now seems a boyish “marking” of territory. While I don’t believe this marking was conscious it was definitely perceived this way by the other stronger and faster boys who previously “owned” the playground. Bill didn’t seem to care who owned what, he just did what he did, smiled and made friends. Within a few days the playground was his and the tone of the playground seemed to became more friendly and welcoming to the less desirables. While my “playing time” on the playground basketball court or football field didn’t increase substantially, it did increase as there was a new tone that meant more inclusion.

Around the same time another new boy Duane (Bolton) Kroeker moved to town and befriended me almost immediately. He was a strong and athletic boy who seemed to take a special interest in some of those on the bottom of the popularity pole. His stature often yielded him position of team captain. From that position he almost always picked an undesirable (me) first. Bill seemed to honor that posture and do the same until it almost became a rule of the playground. It didn’t matter who you were if you wanted to play, these two boys would often work to find a way for inclusion. Until now, I had never thought about how the action of these boys forever played a part in how I interact with others.

With Duane’s friendship and encouragement my confidence began to grow. While I wasn’t the strongest or fastest, his engaging me gave me opportunity and confidence that I otherwise would not have had. Likewise, Bill’s seeming acceptance of all from his position of popularity meant the game was never “locked,” rather there was some level of opportunity for most who wanted to participate. At the same time my father got me playing soccer. I recognized that there were multiple purposes in his encouragement, but later was able to see his wisdom as I quickly grew in strength, endurance, and speed. I did not realize to what degree I was changing physically, and being encouraged by my father and Linda Edwards (friend and soccer coach) as I still perceived myself at the bottom of the pecking order.

While playing a fairly unpopular sport I was growing mentally and physically much more than I knew. While Duane moved away later in elementary, Bill remained but was not really in my spectrum of attention much again until 7th grade and the first day of football practice.

I had grown to be one of the taller and heavier boys in a class of over 200 students. That new stature had come with strength and speed that I didn’t know was there. Prior to that first football practice my father had encouraged me do what I wanted to do when it came time to choose a position to try out for. He made it clear that it would be difficult, but I needed to follow my heart. I did not want to be a lineman but my size and peer expectation said that was the obvious position.

The time came and the coaches told us to go to a specific location on the field based on what we wanted to try out for. The whistle blew and everyone made his choice. I stood there a bit too long and got an additional whistle and my name called out by Coach Gwartney to go with the linemen. I turned and ran exactly the opposite direction to the running backs. There was a bit of commotion that ensued as coaches and peers informed me, that I was in the wrong place. I refused to go with the linemen until the coach said I could only stay with the running backs if I could outrun all of those who were wishing to try out for that position. We (running backs) were put on the line and had to run 3 – 40 yard dashes. To my surprise, and likely everyone else’s, I won all three of those races. That did not satisfy the coaches, or perhaps they were trying to prove some other point. Coach then declared that I would have to outrun who we believed to be one* of the fastest boys on the team, Bill Nix, who had gone with the receivers when that first whistle blew. At this point I was certain my career as a running back was coming to an abrupt end after only 10 minutes. Now the whistle blew one more time and this whistle defined much of my next 6 years. (* seem to remember Shane Davis also having to run with Bill & me.)

I outran Bill by a whisker. A few high-fives were exchanged and I was welcomed to the core of backs and receivers. Just as had been the case back in 3rd grade Bill welcomed me to “the team”. Whether that day was a fluke, some guys helping me along the way, or I was truly faster or not I remember it as the beginning of great friendships with other boys who were all team players and welcoming of me. Stephen Turley and Casey Harrel were two of those who truly made me feel like I was worthy to be in the backfield with them. As I recall, it was another friend, Teece Chambers, with his gift of verbal affirmation who named Turley and I “Shake & Bake”. I was the “bake” half of the equation as Stephen was definitely quicker with more agility. I just ran over guys until everyone else began to outgrow me.

Bill was one of many great guys who I was blessed to grow up with and will always carry fond memories of. I was blessed to be in what I believe was the best class to graduate Pryor High School because of guys like these (Shane, Donnie, Casey, Stephen, Steve, Teece, Junior). I could name dozens of others whose actions and words influenced me and helped shape me as a boy. These guys from the football and basketball teams in grade 7-9 made a big difference in my world. Those three years forever changed me and gave me a confidence that I previously did not have and you guys were all a part of the genesis of that. I regret that it takes one’s death to realize what a big impact little things can have. Bill – you made a difference!

To learn more about our ministry find us at: http://www.rocpartners.org