Christmas Number 3


I can't believe that we have spent our third Christmas here in Madagascar. It doesn't seem at all like we have been living here that long. Christmas time is usually one of the toughest times here on the field. Its really hard being away from family, and the 100 degree temps don't make it any more enjoyable. You want to decorate your house with snowmen and put Bing on the radio...but it all feels so out of place here.

Fortunately, God is faithful to sustain us even in the harder times and every Christmas here has been more and more special. This year we were overwhelmed with surprise gifts from our friends and family in the states. We couldn't help but feel in the Christmas spirit with all of the sweet Christmas gifts and reminders of how loved we are. We were even able to have guests over for Christmas week, who made it feel like such a special week. We had a blast hanging out at the beach and the pool, and I found myself not missing the snow nearly as much.

One of the best parts about Christmas this year was watching Eli begin to really understand it all. Eli's favorite time of the day each day was doing our Jesse Tree devotionals, and he seemed to really understand we were celebrating the special birth of Jesus. It was a great reminder to us of why we celebrate Christmas... not so we can be with our families, snuggled up in a blanket on the couch drinking hot chocolate... but to recognize our savior who came to Earth and made the ultimate sacrifice for us.

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