This year Christmas looked completely different from the usual routine. My team and I spent it in Chitwan in a small church outside of a village. I woke up Christmas morning on the floor of the church. We had helped decorate the night before lights were strung up and origami butterflies were taped to the wall. Over two hundred balloons were scattered throughout the church. It looked like a birthday party was about to take place. After morning devotionals we packed up and moved our bags to the church office as we would be going to another location later that afternoon. Our amazing host prepared a special breakfast for us. Pancakes with honey, eggs and milk tea. After breakfast, the locals began to arrive for the church service.
The church started at ten and didn’t end until two that afternoon. The service consisted of a sermon, singing, traditional dancing, and gift exchanges. One thing that stuck out to me was the way they celebrated the birth of Jesus. It wasn’t about them or gifts, but about our savior coming to the world. The entire focus was constantly on Jesus they even sang happy birthday to him! During the service, I sat next to a young Hindu girl. The pastor’s daughter had invited her, and although she didn’t believe in the Lord she was completely intrigued with my Bible asking questions and flipping through each book. I told her the story of creation and explained to her the story of Jesus birth. I didn’t get a chance to talk to her after the service, but I am reminded of her when I open my bible and find the notes she wrote to me. Although the encounter was brief I pray that the seed I planted grows routes and she comes to know the Lord.
After the service let out we ate lunch. It consisted of goat that the paster had killed the day before. Rice, and a mixture of veggies covered in a green sauce as well as whole fish deep fried. I tried everything on the plate but it honestly didn’t do my stomach any favors. After we ate our transportation arrived that would take us to the other church where the rest of the teams where. The twenty of us and all of our packs pilled into the back of a tractor-trailer. The ride to the church was about thirty minutes with a small traffic jam caused by an elephant walking down the middle of the road.
Once we arrived at the other church I took a shower the first one in a week. The church had a little wifi and I was able to message my family, that was such a blessing. The day ended with dinner, while each of us told our favorite memories and traditions from Christmas. The day wasn’t what I had expected it to be but it holds so many memories. Ones that I will never forget.
