So I spent my Christmas with some amazing people. On Christmas eve I got up and went to hang out with the kids until 12. It was Belle's birthday (one of the kids at Baan Nam Jai) on Christmas day so we celebrated her birthday on Christmas eve. I ate some really good banana cake with all of the kids and staff and then I headed home to clean and relax some. In the evening I headed over to my friend Onn's house to have a Christmas eve dinner with her family. It was fabulous. We had baked chicken, corn (kind of prepared like mash potatoes- she had some french name for them) and then it was served with a tastey sauce drizzled over it. It was good. And then for desert we had chocolate mousse. MMMMM.....afterwards we gathered around the tree and handed out the gifts for each person. Her two sons made me some really precious gifts. And then Onn gave me some amazing swiss chocolate. So needless to say I did not go home hungry nor famished of blessings. I was overwhelmed that a family that I met nearly 4 weeks ago had taken me in to be a part of their christmas celebration and really made me a part. So Christmas morning I wake up and ride my bike up to the Wilcox house (the directors of Baan Nam Jai-fantastic family from Austrailia) and joined them in a completely wonderful breakfast with pancakes, scrambled tofu, muslix, coffee and austrailian golden brown syrup imported from Australia. I felt very blessed. Also they had presents for me.....a flashlight (or as they called it, a tortch), a really nice book, and a beautiful house plant for my new place. Again I was overwhelmed that this family had allowed me to be part of their christmas celebrations after meeting me nearly 4 weeks ago. I felt really taken care of. Following breakfast I continued on my way to BNJ to go see the kids and see how they were going with all of their christmas morning excitement. I found all of the kids spread out among the house inside and out checking out all of their new toys and enjoying them with eachother. It was so fun watching them be so excited with everything they had gotten. They were really greatful. It made me miss all of my kids back at home.....an aching deep inside of me hit hard, confirming that I am here for christmas and will not be a part of the excitement at home with my neices and nephews. But I remained strong.....enjoying the BNJ kids and allowing them to distract me and my torn emotions. We had a lovely lunch with the kids and I stuck around and visited for a bit. Then I proceeded to be on my way and go spend some time at home. While I was cleaning at home I got a call from my friend Betty asking if I would like to come over later on tonight to watch a movie. I was feeling a bit down and so I said I would love to. Around 5:30 my friend Onn called me and told me to come over and have crepes with her and her family because they were going to be amazing and she didn't want me to be alone on christmas day. I told her that I was going over to Betty and Tlana's house at 7 and she said ok, come over now and you can eat. God really took such good care of me. I feel his love overflowing out of my new friends and it was so sweet the way He takes care of us.
The following day I was able to talk to everyone in my family and although I had such a good day on Christmas and I wasn't really homesick, hearing the voices of my family and all of the commotion going on around made my heart ache so badly that I was so many miles away from that tradition, that part of the year that I so look forward to every year. And I could care less about the presents.....but what really keeps me going is their presence. I forget what you call words that sound the same but have completely different meanings but although those words are the same and they both were at the Moore house on christmas day, I only missed one of them. I would have loved to talk to all of you reading this but I am sure that my computer battery would not have lasted. The voices I heard and the words spoken that day will last me for a long time! Precious times are really cherished when they are far and few between. Since I have been here I have not really been homesick. But I treasure each contact I have with you all while I am here. Communication is so important. And if I don't get back to each one of you right away, it does not mean that I like you less. There is not enough time during the day nor consistent internet.....(haahaa). I"m trying to work on that one. I am posting some pictures from Belle's birthday party. I hope you all had a wonderful christmas and find this new year to come refreshing and a year of new beginnings! I am thinking of you all often and love you all so much..... Blessings on the year 2008!!
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