Christmas!

Grace and peace to everyone back home during this Holiday season!  I hope everyone has been enjoying a wonderful Advent season, and that the preparations for welcoming friends and family are going well.  The past few weeks have been extremely busy here, and will get even busier in the coming week.  School is slowing down for us as we approach the end of the semester, final exams, and preparing for a two week vacation.  Although we do not have snow on the ground here or the common traditions celebrated every year in America, I have been so happy to have taken part in so many traditional festivities here already.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to take part in several holiday events that I have either never done before, or it had been a long time since I have done the holiday activities.  This past Friday several of the other volunteers and me had a white elephant Christmas party.  I am not sure if this is what it is officially called, but it is when you buy a cheap funny, yet useful gift and one by one everyone randomly selects a gift.  I can not recall ever doing anything like this before, but have always wanted to and I had so much fun!  On Saturday we went to a Christmas parade in Beit Sahor (Same area as Bethlehem) and watched a tree lighting ceremony which was hosted by the Prime Minister!  We had a great time singing carols after the lights were turned on, and just being there with so many people singing in English and Arabic.  On Sunday after church we practiced a song that several of us from the Redeemer Church will sing on Christmas Eve at Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem!  I also had a wonderful meal Sunday night with some friends of mine at the Catholic Church near my house.  This week is also packed with Christmas celebrations and preparations for the coming of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.

All of these activities are wonderful regardless of what we do, and where we do it because the fellowship we share with our friends during this time is invaluable.  The traditions we celebrate every year during the holidays are so special to us because of the memories that we have made, and also the joy of sharing those memories with old and new friends.  Sure, we will likely not have a white Christmas with super cold temperatures, the free coffee at most gas stations on Christmas and Christmas Eve, but we will forever carry those cherished memories with us wherever we go in life.  One of the most wonderful things that I have discovered this Holiday season is how important it is to share our traditions with each other, and through our exchanges we can catch a glimpse into someone else’s life at such a level that we can begin to reveal a meaning of Christmas that is far deeper than the superficial things we often think about.  The Christmas tree that we put up in my house in Beit Jala does not have lights, or ornaments from when I was a baby, but it does have ornament like objects on the tree such as necklaces, sunglasses, and other random things. 

We value the traditions that we always do year in and year out because of that warm feeling we get inside when we do them, and how happy we were during those wonderful times.  Christmas time is when we celebrate and remember the wonderful gift of Christ’s birth on this Earth not in some five star hotel, or with surgeons ready to care for the child…rather born in a cave outside of the town because there were no rooms available anywhere.  The first people to lay witness to this wonderful birth were shepherds, those who were outsiders to the town and lived a simple life.  We must look to the simple things during this wonderful time of the year, to look around and see the beautifulness of things for how they are without the glitter and glam.  The simple things such as spending time with those you care about is the most valuable gift to give at this time of year.  No matter what nationality you are, what language you speak, there is one thing that remains true and that is to be with others that you care about during the festive times of the year.  The thing that we are most concerned about for the coming holidays is how we are going to get together and hang out during our vacation.  Being together with friends is the best gift that I could ever ask for and receive, because in our time together we unwrap the gifts found deep within each other that we would never be able to see by our self. 

I want to thank all of those who have sent me letters, emails, and your prayers.  All of your warm gifts during this time of the year are especially wonderful, and I pray that your Christmas be blessed with happiness, good health, and joy as we enter into a new year with new hopes and new aspirations.  May God bless you all, and I look forward to sharing my stories and pictures with you as you continue to accompany me on this life changing journey.  MerRy ChrIsTmAs and a HaPpy NeW YeAr!!!!

Salaam,

David