Christmas Lights

 It's not a holiday in Thailand.

Come Christmas morning, our kids at New Family Foundation will not be waking early and heading down to the Christmas tree.  They won't spend the day in their pjs playing with new toys, or having a special Christmas breakfast, or watching a Christmas movie, or playing board games.

Come Christmas morning, December 25th, they'll wake up early, yes.  They do that every day.  They'll gather for what I expect will be a special Christmas morning time of worship.  Then they'll head out to do their chores, get dressed, eat breakfast, and head off to school.

Christmas Day is not a holiday in Thailand.

Before you feel too sorry for our kids, please know that they have already been enjoying Christmas treats, special meals and extra fun throughout the month, as is the way of celebration for Christians in Thailand.  The church has been decorated since December 3rd.  Christmas songs have long been incorporated into their twice daily times of singing together.  An Sunday, December 24 will be a special service indeed, including the lunch afterwards for everyone in attendance.

As well, we have collected cards from each child's Sponsor and that will be given to them at a moment over the holidays when they can read and enjoy them.  We've made sure there will be some funds to buy a few extra 'presents', to be opened likely at the same time the cards are given.  But this will be in keeping with the fact that our family is big, and gift exchange is not really a 'thing' at Christmas, even among Christians.  Not in the simpler way of living that is the reality of our children's homes of origins, or even the surrounding culture.  

It's interesting to me how much of my own cultural expectations I can still place on what I hope for my Thai family.  I actually can't help but wish all my happy Christmas morning rituals into their reality.  

And yet.  It strikes me that our children have a different kind of Christmas opportunity.  While not a holiday, Christmas Day will still be acknowledged.  Sometimes Christian pastors are invited to speak to a school assembly to tell the Christmas story.  And whether or not that happens for our kids this year, they still get to be Christmas lights, shining the goodness of Jesus into their world.

We want to take this moment now to thank every one of you who has been with us on our journey through the year, 

and many for much longer.

Your love and support mean everything to us.

We wish you a most meaningful Christmas season

and a New Year filled with the blessings of God.