What do you think of when the holiday season comes to mind?
Food, family, friends, shopping, getting or giving gifts?
Yeah me too…
To be honest the holiday season is the part of the race I was least looking forward to, I knew that I would be battling some extreme home sickness, and sadness at this being my first holiday season away from home, and I was right.
Thanksgiving hit, and I was miserable. I daydreamed of home and what i would be doing if I was there, but then GOD sobered me up. We got presented with an opportunity to actually live out both Thanksgiving and Christmas for what they were truly created for…
Thanksgiving
This past thanksgiving I was blessed to be in pouk, in Siem Reap province or Cambodia. I had spent the month living at the school, and there was a huge kitchen there (an absolute luxury on the race) so my team and I decided to cook a big meal on Thanksgiving. At first we were preparing to for about 11 people, my 7teammates and I and 4 Cambodian teachers we were living with. Our ministry contact then thought it would be a good idea to invite some of our students, so the number grew from 11 to 21 or so. Then we decided to invite some other missionaries we had met because they were also away from their homes on this major holiday so the number grew to about 40.
At first we were all overwhelmed. The thought of having so many people to cook for, when we honestly just wanted to relax and enjoy the off day after a little cooking, but the we were reminded of what Thanksgiving is really about, fellowship and community. So we adopted the mindset of the more the merrier and we spent the whole day cooking and watching movies. It was amazing, and that day we laughed, and sang and worshipped and ate! It was definitely a holiday I will never forget!
Christmas
This past month the Christmas season was well embraced. We began in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam. As we rode into the city we saw decorations for Christmas everywhere, and it warmed my heart. My team was even able to take Christmas pictures (which I never mailed home, oops). When we arrived in our ministry city of DaNang we learned that one of our major ministry points would be to assist in the production of a Christmas play in the Theatre in town which is Huge! They play became a big deal, and hundreds of people showed up to watch the Gospel be presented through Art.
We decorated a tree, made present boxes for the stage, assisted as stage hands, did makeup, and more. Some of us sang, and one of us even acted in the play. At the end of it I was able to praise JESUS because I realized that Christmas had been lived out. And the same way the wise me were able to tell of the Good News of the birth of our Savior the play told of the Good news that He was not only born but still ALIVE! It was amazing, and I was taught so much through the process.
As a bonus my team and I did a gift exchange on Christmas! Because we didn't have a huge American shopping mall or many resources we actually had to pay attention to the gifts we gave. They were all very thoughtful, and brought on our sense of unity and family much more.
New yeyears this New Years was different than any one I have ever had. I usually am in church, surrounded by tons of people, praying in the new year. This year however I was alone, in my tent, camping by the Nile. I prayed in the New Years by myself, and then rolled out of my tent and watched fireworks for a few minutes. It was actually not bad to just be with JESUS as he poured love into me, and spoke promises over my life for the New Years.
It has been an amazing journey us far, and although homesickness has been a struggle I wake up every morning knowing how blessed I am to still be serving here…
more to come soon
**** I am still in need of about $1800 to stay on the race. If not I will be so Ong home the first weekend of February. I am trusting GOD for a miracle but if you could help that would bless me so much! Just click support me on the left side of the page! Love you all!
