Merry Christmas

To Our Friends and Families, ___________________________________________ From the front veranda I can see the sun dipping down over the mountains in the distance and the last few rays of light filtering through the mango trees in the yard. Soon the light will completely dissipate and I’ll be left with the clear black skies of Africa. Already I can hear the insects begin shouting their chorus from the hedges and bushes lining the property, intermingling with the faint prayers echoing up the mountain from the Mosque below. It’s still hot even at this time of night, and I know in a few moments when I begin to wander inside, my back will still be stuck to the thin plastic coca-cola chairs we’re using for furniture outside. But, it’s an inevitable fate, because I can’t sit out here much longer in the dark. Soon, despite the netting around the windows, mosquitoes will be infiltrating our defenses and I’ll be vastly overmatched in the darkness. ____________________________________________________________________________ Through a small slit in the curtains I can see our tree inside. Red and white lights reflecting off homemade ornaments, fragile bits of decoration crafted by Deanna and the kids from dried leaves and branches. It’s looking at the tree that snaps me back, reminds me that it’s December, that Christmas is just around the corner. It just hasn’t really felt that way yet. For the first time in our lives, apart from our tree, there aren’t obvious signs of the holiday. No Christmas lights strung through town, no carols blasted through department stores. No rush to buy presents and no parties scheduled on our calendar. And in some ways, that has been very hard. It’s hard because not only are we aching for the normality we’re used to, but we’re feeling the pain of being separated from all those people we love. ____________________________________________________________________________ Yet tonight, as I sit in the dark and think about the approaching holiday I sense the presence that brought us here. And when I look out at the darkness and the stars gleaming in the sky above. I don’t sit with sadness or longing. Instead, I understand that when we all wake up on Christmas morning, we’ll all be celebrating the same Savior. And that is a bond we share and a love we have that makes distance mean very little. Please know you’re in our hearts and our prayers this month, perhaps even more so than usual. And know, that despite the lands and the waters that separate us, we feel your love and support. And we appreciate you so very much. ____________________________________________________________________________Merry Christmas and Much Love From Tanzania, East Africa,