Celebrating in a place that couldn’t care less
One of the hardest aspects of moving overseas is missing out on time with family and friends. This hits home particularly hard during the holidays, as that is such a big part of our American culture. Whether its Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, or another holiday, families always get together to celebrate. However, living in a country where most American holidays aren’t even recognized, much less celebrated, it causes our workers to think about each holiday and determine what is truly important to their family.
Should we continue to celebrate every holiday?
How should we celebrate?
Should we include local friends, or spend time with other foreigners?
There are not right or wrong answers, and everyone does it a little differently. It’s important to find the balance between holding on to some American traditions and also being willing to let go of some things you realize aren’t really that important.
Sometimes, our workers choose to have local friends over so they can share their cultural and family traditions that are important to them. Other times, it’s nice to spend certain holidays with American co-workers who understand and share the same values and culture. Even just spending some holidays at home as a family may provide special memories in a foreign country.
During their first Christmas on the field, Jason and Kelsey Lang, along with their 3 boys, were expecting to experience some homesickness and the lack of “Christmas spirit” in their new city. They decided to invite some of their local friends over for a small Christmas dinner. Unfortunately, Jason got sick just the day before, and was unable to join in any of their holiday plans! They ended up having to cancel their plans with their friends, and Kelsey took the boys out for dinner at a restaurant.
As they were sitting at the restaurant, Kelsey found herself feeling angry and frustrated that their Christmas was ruined. Then, it hit her- the real reason for Christmas was still the reason despite her circumstances. For so long she had painted a picture in her head of what Christmas should look like and who it should be celebrated with but in that moment she realized that we are actually celebrating the coming of our King! Even if their Christmas day didn’t live up to their expectations, it caused the whole family to remember the joy they can experience from knowing Jesus- something that far surpasses our circumstances.
They were able to re-schedule their Christmas dinner with local friends for the following weekend, and everyone had a great time! Jason recovered from his illness and was able to participate. They made lasagna, something their friends had never eaten before, and all the kids got a stocking with some toys and candy. Their local friends had never received a stocking before either so they were very surprised and excited.
Christmas time can be challenging for those living overseas, as they’re away from loved ones and will probably miss some of their old traditions. But, it’s also a unique opportunity to create new traditions and still keep the holidays a special time for their family. In cities overseas there are usually fewer distractions around the time of the holiday season, which makes it much easier to focus on the true meaning of Christmas- the birth of God’s Son, Jesus.
Please keep our workers in prayer during the Christmas season, as many will be experiencing extra homesickness. Also, ask that the Lord would give them opportunities to share the truth about this holiday and why we celebrate with their friends and neighbors.
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
From all of us at Global Serve
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