THE JOYS OF THE SEASON

Celebrating Christmas in Burkina is very different from celebrating it in the United States.

There are the obvious differences, such as the fact that no one here ever dreams of a White Christmas, or that December is watermelon season.

The big difference for us, however, is the emphasis that the Church here puts on Christmas. This time of year is the time for a major evangelism thrust in our churches. Baptisms are also organized in most of the churches. It’s a joy to see this time when we celebrate Christ’s birth also be a time when we celebrate new souls being born into the Kingdom !

One of our favorite things to do at Christmas time is to purchase gifts for the five people who help us with house and yard work, and guarding. It’s such a delight to know that their families will be able to enjoy a special Christmas meal. We also take great pleasure in buying toys for our Burkinabe grandchildren and inviting them over to open their gifts.

This year, once again, we shopped online for our family in the U.S. We will have the pleasure of watching our children and grandson open the gifts on skype. It’s not easy being separated from them at this time of year when families traditionally get together. Still, we are thankful and blessed for all the joys of the season that we are able to experience here in Burkina.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all !