Merry Christmas!

A breezy 85 degrees and sunny… it’s the cool season.

Techno style Christmas music playing somewhere in the city is drifting through the open windows… the music has been playing all day repeating the same four songs. At least they're nice songs.

I LOVE cinnamon rolls!

The smell of homemade bread… I’m making Grandma Bacon’s yeast rolls and mom’s cinnamon rolls. It’s a Christmas tradition.

Extra traffic and a million street vendors selling soccer balls, little drums, dolls, bread, handcrafted nativities, fake Christmas trees, chickens, and phone credit. Last minute shoppers are bustling around the dusty city streets.

This can only mean one thing: IT’S CHRISMAS EVE!!!

Christmas in the heart of Africa is very different from Christmas at home. Not bad, just different. Being away from everything that feels like “Christmas” to me (family, cold weather, snow, candy canes, candle light Christmas eve services, the smell of fresh cut pine tree, pretty gifts wrapped up and hidden under the tree) is really making me rethink the whole idea of Christmas.

Mandy decorated for Christmas

There’s a lot I miss (my family especially). I can’t lie. But it is so neat seeing how people from all parts of the world celebrate the birth of Jesus in their own way. It’s easy to make the story of Jesus birth a nice little Christmas story about a sweet baby born in a manger surrounded by nice shepherds, cute animals, and happy parents. It’s a nice story to read cuddled up by a fire with hot chocolate, but in reality I’m pretty sure that’s not how it went down.

Mary was young, far from her family and all the comforts of home, giving birth to her first child, and not in very good standing back in her hometown. There probably wasn't any fluffy white snow or holly plants surrounding the manger and the animals probably were more smelly than cute. And Jesus, a humble baby wrapped up in swaddling clothes, wasn’t quite what anyone was expecting God to send to rescue his people from their oppression and be the savior of the world.

And what did Jesus give us? Everything. He died so that we could have everything God has to offer: abundant life, freedom, love, peace, purpose, joy, and the hope of an amazing eternity with him. God loved all of his people (Africans, Americans, Germans, Mexicans) so much that he thought that sending his son to die for our sins in our place was worth the cost. God gave us the gift of a new way of life in Jesus.

I've got pink nails!!!

Speaking of gifts… I love getting and receiving gifts at Christmas! I have already gotten two Christmas gifts and it’s not even Christmas yet!!! The first gift was from my Sango teacher, Marie Claire. Last week, part way through my lesson, Marie Claire reached into her purse and pulled out a bottle of bright pink nail polish. She said she wanted to paint my toes and fingernails so I could be beautiful for Christmas. Painting my nails was her gift to me. I was humbled. She doesn’t have much money and there are 13 people living in her house that she works hard just to feed. Out of her little she gave me what she could. Even though I don’t like nail polish (and especially not bright pink!) it meant a lot to me.

My other gift was from Ann, a guesthouse worker on our compound who was recently widowed. She’s been through so much and I doubt she has much money either because, like most Central Africans, she has a house full of kids. The other day Ann came running over to my house with two little bundles wrapped up, one for me and one for Caitlin. She had bought us each a necklace with a bead in the shape of Africa on it. She is the most joyful giver!

That’s what I’ve gotten for Christmas this year: a lesson on giving with joy and love even when you don’t have much to give. The joy and love make all the difference.

What I’ve helped to give are the 1000 gifts to the orphans at both the PHC centers here in Bangui. It is amazing how much joy these kids get from a little bag with food and a few little toys in it! The thing about their gift that makes it so special though is that it comes from their sponsors. It is a reminder that there is someone who loves them and thinks they are worth enough to invest something in and give a Christmas gift to. It's more than just a Christmas gift or a monthly amount of money to help feed and educate them, sponsors give these kids hope for a bright future.

holding tight to his Christmas gift!

What does Christmas mean to you? Think about it. I hope you all enjoy the celebrations, snow, family, and gifts but most of all I pray that you stop and think about all that Jesus gave you.

Merry Christmas!!!