The Words of the Batino Family
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The Words of the Batino Family |
Who says that Family Fellowship is tiring, boring, and a burden? Well, honestly, I would say I was one of those who thought that way, until we discovered that the regular meetings would actually bring our families together consistently.
Our constant challenge is always something concerning children: What to do with them and what will benefit them? In our small group of four families, we have 14 children ranging from 2 years up to 15 year old. We found a way to amuse the younger ones by teaching them action songs, using Christian praise songs. The children learned to sing along and dance in praise to God and Jesus. So, we normally begin our gathering with praising and eating; then the group will divide, and we will have more singing afterward when we gather again.
On November 8, we decided to get together with another group in our community. The couples who came with their delicious dishes included families from Japan, Argentina, the Philippines, India, and America -- to the delight of our Indian host. Our Family Fellowship was held at our guest’s house (the family is from India), with ample space for adults to move around and enough room to accommodate even our younger crowd. Since our children had been rehearsing our praise songs with actions, it was a good time to show their talent during our entertainment portion. The children were so happy to perform in front of an excited audience, but I bet the happiest people in the crowd were the parents of the children who performed.
We have more songs to learn, so we'll keep our small group alive and be consistent in meeting. And, to make more relationships with other families, it is good to get together with other groups! We have six small groups in Worcester City, six in Boston, and two in Gloucester. We are looking forward to fellowship with them one at a time in the future; then we get to see other faces. It's exciting!