Christmas Away from Home

I come from a country where Christmas is overwhelming celebrated.....every store is decorated and  every commercial announces the holiday. And I now live in a place where Christmas is underwhelming celebrated. Very few stores have decorations, no commercials advertise the must haves for the season. The Christmas rush has changed to a Christmas stroll. Although the busyness of the season is still here...
the message of Christmas is proclaimed loudly through concerts and celebrations at our school for we have much to celebrate- Immanuel has come!
There have been staff parties and get-togethers with lots of Christmas goodies. But through it all there has been one important thing missing-
my family. I have to say that the sting of homesickness is just a bit sharper this year. Holidays are always hard for those who are away from home. I have amazing friends here who have welcomed me into their family during these special days. I am blessed.
Have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy every moment you have with your family.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome to my home......

Image
    Welcome to my new home!   Come on in and sit for awhile. It is a cozy apartment with 2 bedrooms so if anyone would like to come and visit I have a room ready and waiting.   Here's my room. There is a nice big closet and shelf just outside the picture. Yup......indoor plumbing is a wonderful thing. Toilet handle is on top of the toilet. Shower is there behind the shower curtain. The next post will show pictures of the kitchen.....
Read more

Welcome to my Kitchen...

Image
Preparing meals in Niger is......challenging. The produce, that has been bought at the local market, needs to be soaked in a solution of bleach and water for 20 minutes. Then rinsed with filtered water, lettuce needs to be rinsed especially well.....lesson learned just recently. There is no microwave in the kitchen....so planning meals ahead of time is a must. Rice is aplenty here. Before cooking the rice, it needs to be rinsed several times to dispose of the weevils that might be abiding in the bag. Freezing the bag after purchasing, it kills the larvae, so we just need to get rid of the adult black bugs. Flour is frozen and then sifted before use to avoid and critters in the baking. Pork is now available here, surprising for a mostly Muslim country. You can buy your chicken frozen at the grocery store or alive at the local market. I prefer the frozen kind, no defeathering required. I have a gas stove for the first time. I'm trying to improve my record of 4 matches to light
Read more
Image
Once upon a time there were 3 suitcases.....doesn't that sound like the beginning of a great story. These 3 suitcases hold all the supplies I will need for the next 2 years.....well, chances are I will need some more as time goes on. After all the planning and packing, the time has finally arrived for the "see ya laters". Those are much easier to say than good-byes. So here I sit at the airport with a long layover, a few hours to reflect at what the Lord has done and anticipate what He will do in the next 2 years in Niger. There is something about Africa that captures your heart, perhaps it is the happiness of the people. Happiness not based on possessions or wealth. There is a joy in the people that comes from a much deeper Source. So as I begin this journey, I will do my best to bring you along with me. Through weekly blogs and pictures, prayer letters and facebook the distance will not seem so great between us at all.  
Read more