I teach preschool at Little Lambs Learning Center, which is located at Bayleaf Baptist Church.

Every year before Christmas, Bayleaf has an event called "Toy Chest" for seminary students.  Basically, church members donate money to Toy Chest.  Volunteers go shopping and purchase top of the line toys.  Seminary students come and for a very small fee, purchase Christmas gifts for their children.  There is a limit of 3 gifts per child.  In addition, there is a "Quarter Room" where one can purchase unlimited gently used or toys that went unsold the year before. 

Words can't tell you how wonderful this is...it's the most amazing ministry I've ever seen.  They do this with excellence.  People begin lining up before 5:00 a.m., although we weren't out there quite that early.  It's not like they ask the church to bring in their unwanted toys to give to the poor seminary students.  Instead, they donate money so seminary students can give their children the best of the best. And they do it with the most wonderful attitude.  They don't give you the impression that they feel like they are doing some wonderful thing; they are genuinely excited for us.  I wept as I went into the Family Life Center this morning and church volunteers lined the halls cheering us on as we went in..."Merry Christmas!"  "Have fun!" 

We got ALL of Allana's Christmas gifts this morning, and boy, is it going to be a fun Christmas at our house!  Additionally, they raffle off 50 AWESOME items...I'm talking jewelry, train tables, motorized jeeps, digital cameras, Mac computers, etc.  You pay $10 for whatever you win.  You will NEVER guess what the Davis family won today - a Nintendo Wii!!! 

I just don't have the words to tell you what an incredibly ministry this is to seminary families.  Bayleaf Baptist Church is a powerful example of what it means to minister to the community you're in.  We are honored that we've been able to see a powerful example of what effective, excellent ministry looks like.  They happen to be located in a seminary community, and they have come up with an incredible way to minister to seminary families.  It changes things for us - what a gift!  Just a few weeks ago we were wondering what we were going to do about Christmas.  We've tried to save, but there have been some unexpected expenses, and it just hasn't happened.  Amazing what God does....