For me, this Christmas was one I will always cherish and hold close to my heart. Although I was miles away from my family, close friends and all I am familiar with, I felt right at home. I was blessed to be with the Brennans (who are like family to me) and of course we had Skype!
But even more than that, I had a reason to celebrate because of what God has done and is doing in my heart. When God chose Mary to birth his Son, she said YES. Even though she didn't know the complete reason behind his choosing her, she was willing. It was her willingness that God used to bring about His plan for salvation. Years and years and many more years later, here I am - someone that has been touched by that special occasion. Mary most likely never knew the full extent of what she would be used for, but she simply said yes. I want to be that way in my own life. There is a plan and purpose that God has for each one of us...he's just waiting for us to say YES. I am so thankful for a God that does not come to visit in my heart once a year on Christmas day. Instead, He lives inside of me day by day and I am free to have fellowship with Him through prayer and His word - how exciting! He is no respecter of persons - it doesn't matter who you are or what you've come through - He came to this earth as a baby for you, died for you, and rose again for you and for me. That to me is the Christmas miracle - thank you Lord!
One of the things that I appreciated about being here in Ghana for the Christmas season was the absence of the holiday rush. All of the things that make it feel like Christmas back home - the lights, the music, the trees and decorations - seemed not to matter here. I loved the simplicity of being here during Christmas - it gave me time to step back and think about the true meaning of Christmas without all of the usual holiday distractions. While those things are exciting and I enjoy them, it felt good to have a Christmas without them. Thankfully at home, my church always emphasizes this and that no matter how busy we get, we are always encouraged to put God first in all that we do. Being over here forced me to do this! I guess God always knows what we need.
Friday was my birthday and it was one of the BEST birthdays I've ever had! Again, it was nice to have a separate day to celebrate my birthday - instead of it being "the day before Christmas Eve." The Brennans made it a very special day - including my own little breakfast on the balcony and a live band singing Happy Birthday to me at Holiday Inn. Here are a few photo highlights.
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| My Coupon Book full of Birthday Surprises! |
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| Birthday Cappucino at Labadie Beach Hotel - mmm! |
On Christmas Eve, Madame Susie and I spent some time cooking together and then later in the evening, we all watched a movie together and played some games. We played one of the longest rounds of Uno I've ever played - it never ended! I don't even remember who eventually won, but it was fun.
On Christmas morning, we watched a service from our church back home, had a time of sharing, and then had the Brennan's traditional Christmas morning French Toast!
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| Fresh Mango slices from our Mango Trees |
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| My Christmas gifts - I didn't realize how excited I could get for something like PRETZELS!!! |
The rest of the day, we opened our gifts to each other and from our Pastor and our church back home, prepared the rest of the meal, ate together, and spent the rest of the evening relaxing. At one point, I took some time to listen to one of my family's traditional Christmas albums - "Listen to the Joy!" with Placido Domingo. It brought back so many great memories that we've shared as a family. All in all, it was a really special Christmas.
Today is Boxing Day, which is somewhat the equivalent of Christmas for the Ghanaians. They spend the day visiting each other and giving gifts. It's really amazing to see how the people here sacrifice to give - they may not have much, but they give of what they have. A nice Christmas meal may be the only gift a few families will share together. It's really touching. We've received African cakes, plantains, a special pear drink, and right now there is a goat tied up outside while a gentleman is here visiting, but I don't think it's for us! I can't help but feel sorry for the little guy - in a few short hours he'll be Boxing Day dinner!
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Well, time for me to wrap up this Christmas post (no pun intended)!
God bless all of you as you continue to celebrate God's love in your life. Merry Christmas from the crew here in Prampram.
*****************UPDATE*****************
The little goat was actually a gift to us - the gentleman brought him all the way from his home, which is about 4 or 5 hours away, as well as a tree branch full of plantains. He traveled with this cargo in 5 different tro-tro's. In otherwords, it was a major sacrifice! We named the goat Quatson and I've been taking care of him. He wasn't too keen on letting me give him water, but after realizing he had nowhere to go, I think he finally chilled out. This morning I fed him some bread and I think we may have one of the workers here raise him on his farm. Little Quatson was pardoned from a Boxing Day Dinner - that was his Christmas miracle!
