This year Christmas was a much simpler event than what we’ve celebrated in the past. It is also our chance to start our own family traditions. Therefore we did something new: celebrate Christmas as a family on Christmas Eve. We enjoyed a Christmas Eve meal together, read the Christmas story, had a time of prayer, ate some preciously rationed Reese’s Pieces, and opened presents.
I know from my own childhood in Africa how busy Christmas day can be when you are a missionary. You have a church service that lasts several hours, you eat a meal and then you visit – and are visited by – many many people. So we opted to move our family time to the eve before so that we could enjoy it quietly and without distraction.
I was impressed by how thrilled Trey was with the few gifts he received. That is, few in comparison to American Christmases past. Here in Nalerigu kids are lucky to get a pair of cheap sunglasses (“specs”) and some candy (“toffees”). He had a gift from each set of grandparents, one from his uncle, and one from some friends in the US. That was more than enough – he was very blessed.
Heidi and I gave each other some things we found in Ghana. I got her some cocoa butter (the dry season is brutal on skin) and she had someone bring up some Roquefort cheese from the capital for me (AMAZING!!!!).
We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas time with your families in the US.