Christmas Miracles

The Christmas season has been difficult for me for several years now.  I'm attributing it to the fact that my worldview has changed, but only God knows really.  My favorite Christmas season is actually our last Christmas in Guinea Bissau.  It was so simple, yet incredibly meaningful.  There are several factors within why it was so meaningful. In Guinea Bissau, there is no Christmas shopping craziness, no gifts to be given out and no stress of possibly offending someone because you didn't get them something.  However, there is also no Christmas lights, music or cookies. The Christmas tradition involves clothes and food, two of life's necessities.  

Every child, and often adults, get a new outfit for Christmas and girls all get their hair done.  The weeks leading up to Christmas traveling salesmen walk from house to house selling clothes and the tailors are busy sewing, often working through the night. We could walk to any house and there would be a girl or lady getting her hair braided, often with extensions. 

Our friends, Antoinetta and Binta, helped us get this outfit made for our sweet one. 

Matching jersey's for the three amigos.

Women work most of the day cooking a huge meal.  This meal isn't for her family, rather it is to hand out to everyone that is special to her. This meal involves chicken, sometimes beef, but mostly chicken.  Meat chickens start arriving around October to be grown and sold for the Christmas meal.  These chickens are different than typical chickens that are running around, they are white and much larger. This last Christmas for us in Guinea Bissau we got chicken and I worked hard to make a huge meal to pass out to every woman in our Bible study.  This created a lot of nerves for me because...well, I'm just going to say it, I ruined a lot of meals and served some pretty disgusting food to our friends there. They would graciously accept, but I never heard anything but thank you.  This Christmas dinner I served them and they all told me how good it was and that now, I could cook African. That was one of the best gifts I could receive. Those women spent hours teaching me to cook, so for them to tell me it was good was such a blessing, they had taught a white girl to cook. 

Our kids often enjoyed meals with friends.

Those memories bring me joy, but there is another memory that blesses my heart so much more.  Our kids had been wanting to see Christmas lights. We told them there was no chance of that happening, but Lydia was determined to pray about it.  She steadfastly prayed, begging God to allow her to see Christmas lights.  People only had solar power, and we hadn't seen Christmas lights for purchase, only what missionaries had brought over, which were long broken.  Christmas Eve came and our family left for the church.  We walked under the incredible stars that constantly reminded us of God's power. We neared the church and could see someone was there. As we got closer we saw Djibi, our close friend and pastor standing at the front of the church smiling that smile that just brings joy to anyone who looks at him, but above him were Christmas lights! He had found a string of lights and decided to string them above the chalk board.  Our hearts were filled with joy, but Lydia saw God answer a prayer that seemed unanswerable.  She leaned over and whispered, God gave me lights! I have no picture of that night, we merely sat in God's presence praising Him for his almighty provisions. 

Christmas was so different, so simple. We saw our Father in new ways and had the opportunity to just enjoy the Reason for the Season.