My Christmas... a little late

Sorry for the lateness. . . I wrote this portion just after Christmas, and I thought it would be worthwhile . . .

Christmas in a Foreign Land
“Is this your first Christmas away from home?” was a common question as time drew nearer to December 25th. This is my second time in a foreign country during the holiday season; however, my experience in Europe was far from similar. With a surfeit of snow and mountains in Switzerland, I felt the Christmas spirit even more sharply. Without the frostbitten toes and fingers, the enveloping heat of the fireplace, and the aroma of mulled wine, it was difficult to sense that the holiday season was upon me. There were carol services galore, and semi-recognizable attempts at decorated fir trees, but it was not until I was on the train Christmas night that I realized just how unique the spirit of Christ’s birth could be.
In a train car packed with Hindu pilgrims recently returning from a famous temple in Sabarimala, shoeless and carrying a distinct odor, our tiny eclectic group of Americans, Achen, and his wife Betty, sang Christmas tunes while their son, Binu, played the guitar. We rounded out the session with “The Piano Man,” not really a Christmas tune per se, but one we knew and loved. We arrived at our destination, Andhra Pradesh, at 10 am the next morning. This was a real culture shock.
It was the India I pictured before my time in Kerala. Rural, destitute, sparsely populated. But staying for three days at a boys’ home for children either orphaned or abandoned was one of the best of my experience so far. The boys did not encircle us, beg for pictures or attention. Rather, they treated us as older sisters who were there to teach and love. It felt like a haven and a home for us during the holidays. Achen’s sister, who is a Church of South India Sister, took us to some of the schools the missions group is trying to run on little or no funding, as well as the village areas, in which not even the state language, Telagu, is spoken. When our time with them was over, I felt more than hesitant to leave what felt like a new family and home. But I returned with a new passion and vigor to continue the projects I had started, and to initiate new projects.

My First Blog

Well, I am sorry that this has taken me so much time, but I finally decided to start blogging. There is so much to tell, that I must first organize my thoughts before posting. But I at least wanted to initiate the site. Thank you for visiting, and there is much more to come . . .