Pittsburgh Mission Updates - December-January 2015

Once again our Pittsburgh Mission "reporter", Mandy Tolsma, has put together an update on activities and visitors there, this time for December and January 2015. Be sure to check out her news items below - and perhaps plan your own trip to this mission station of the PRC.

• Our Bible studies met every other Wednesday throughout November and December.  We are discussing I Peter 2 and our duty to submit to our government and show kindness to all men.  We ended the year with a ham dinner and Christmas caroling at our last meeting on December 16.  We will break for a couple weeks.

• We had a Neighborhood Outreach committee meeting the second week of November and the second week of December.  We are working hard to update our website and our witnessing through the means of social media.

• The highlight of the month was our Christmas Program after the evening service of December 20.  We had a beautiful narrative written by Monica Nystrom and read by several of the ladies from church which emphasized Christ being born from the line of Isaac and David.  We were treated to a beautiful duet by Titus and Peter Mahtani.  They sang “Oh, Holy Night!”    Corrine Bauman and Monica Nystrom sang “Silent Night” and harmonized very well!  There was an organ and piano duet by Joe Petron and Peter Mahtani.  The Bruinsma family sang “Angels We Have Heard on High.”  These were in addition to the beautiful job our children did.  The school children sang and recited verses telling what the angels announced to Joseph, Mary, and in Luke 2.  The preschool children sang and gave the welcome and ending speeches.  Everyone gave a beautiful testimony that because of the birth and death of Christ, we know He fills our hearts with His Spirit and gives us the ability to sing and quote scripture from the heart.

Church Activities for January:

• Bible Studies and Catechism will begin again the week of January 4.

• NOC (Neighborhood Outreach Committee) will meet the second week of January.  We will begin planning our Spring Lecture.

• The children will begin practicing for a spring program tentatively scheduled for April. 

Local Events for January:

• Penguins on Parade will be featured at the Pittsburgh Zoo.  Saturday mornings the penguins are outside of their pen and walking around the zoo!  But only if the temperature at 11:00 is 45 degrees or below.  www.pittsburghzoo.org .

• Go ice-skating downtown Pittsburgh!  http://www.ppgplace.com/directory/the-rink/ .

• Check out the Carnegie Science Museum.

• Check out the National Aviary, the largest in the country!

• There is still time to check out the Nationality Rooms at the University of Pittsburgh!  Open until January 16.  http://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/ .

Our Visitors:

• Rev. Jim and Joan Slopsema from First PRC.

• Dave and Bonnie Moelker from Hope PRC.

• Bruce and Sherri Jabaay from Georgetown PRC.

• John and Pat Pols from Grandville, PRC.

• Bern and Linda Zandstra from Southwest PRC

• Tom VanderWoude from Southwest PRC