Fun Stamp Night!

December 3, 2008

Hi!

Happy Advent!

We will write a new letter very soon, but I just wanted to write to tell you about our evening.

We had our first "Stamp Night" tonight. Tomas told half of his students during class, and then next week I will invite my students. We ask the classes if anyone in the class collects stamps and is interested in stamps, and then after class we invite those students to our apartment at a certain time. So, tonight a group of about 10 of Tomas's students came over for our first Stamp Night, and they were so excited! We had spread out mostly Swedish and American stamps on the tables, and they were able to choose stamps. They were so happy to be able to look at them, and ask questions about the stamps. Often, they are symbols that are interesting; for example, we had many Christmas stamps with Mary and baby Jesus on them, we also had some with famous American symbols, like the Liberty Bell, Swedish flowers or people, etc.

Then the students were very excited to walk around our apartment and look at everything, from the way we have decorated to our American decorations and photos of friends and family.

At the end, the students asked us, "who has given these stamps to you?" and we told them that several members of our home churches have saved stamps and sent to us, and some family and friends. Some of the students were so touched by this, they looked like they wanted to cry! I think they were so touched because our friends and family had done this small--but for the students, special--gesture.

So, moral of this little story: thanks to all of you have saved and sent us your stamps. The students appreciate it more than you could ever imagine. For them, it is a small connection to our home cultures, and our friends and families (and more stamps for the stamp collection albums they told us they keep). For us, it is a fun hour in our home, shared with our students.

So please keep up the great work... I told the students tonight that I would thank our friends and family from them (and hope for more stamps --hint hint-- so we can do this again!)

If you want to save stamps for students, just cut any stamps from envelopes and when you have a bunch, send them to us! (our address label can be printed from our web page: http://china.e455.se )

We'll be in touch again soon!

love
Rachel