I know, I know, you're probably full of ham, salad, roast chicken and sticky date pudding from yesterday, and not really thinking anything of the sort... But I'm still going to tell you! Mainly because it's been such a lovely, different Christmas to anything I've really experienced before.
Really, it started on Christmas Eve. One really cool thing about short-term mission has been learning a whole lot more about other cultures... Obviously learning about Nepali culture has been fascinating and wonderful. But living amongst expats from around the world means there's all sorts of other little things you learn. What a wonderful kaleidoscope we are! In Jumla, I've been living with a lovely German Christian woman. And, in Germany, Christmas Eve is actually bigger than Christmas Day... they have a big meal, and usually exchange gifts on Christmas Eve. I never knew that! But there you go. So, we had a fabulous, big dinner together on Christmas Eve, with roast chicken and vegetables, home-made German noodles, a few different salads, and custard and cake for dessert. Beautiful food, beautiful company.
Then... Christmas Day!! Church happens on Saturdays in Nepal, so we'd had church the day before. At that service, we'd been told we'd sing some songs to the patients at the hospital nearby at around 7 or 8am, then head back to the church for a short service and a 10am-ish meal (the usual time for the first meal of the day in Nepal)... just bring 100 rupees, a pint of rice and a handful of lentils. Sounded just gorgeous. Anyway... at 8am, nothing was really happening at the hospital. So I headed back to the church to see what was happening. Turns out we were now singing at 9am. No big deal - we all live quite closeby! Anyway, in the end, I think the singing at the church happened at 10am, with church starting at around 11:30am and finishing at 2:30pm. Honestly, I found this hilarious! Time is a little more flexible in Nepali culture. It's something I actually find rather beautiful and different. (Although sometimes having a very time-focused Western mindset can be a challenge at times). The church service was just lovely. Bible readings, lots of joyful singing and praying, a few dramas (including the Christmas story), and pressies for the Sunday school kids. One big celebration of Jesus.
Oh, and this is how the church looked:
Just one of the reasons I love this country.
After this, two of my friends and I wandered up to the local orphange - to which we'd been invited for Christmas Dinner. There's currently 17 children at the orphanage (all of whom have lost both parents), but are cared for by a faithful family, originally from India. So, our Christmas dinner was just fabulous abundant food... a special salad of carrot, onion and yoghurt; a delicately-spiced pork dish, and chicken biriyani - a South Indian speciality. The hospitality of this family was precious, and it was lovely spending a few hours playing games with the kids (including the chocolate game where you roll a dice, dress up and eat the choccy with a knife and fork... highly popular!), singing some songs and praying; as well as just spending time together, chatting, preparing food... really, just doing ordinary things.
All in all, I've had a wonderful couple of days. Not spectacular, but what a privilege celebrate Christmas in another culture which in some ways looks so different, but yet still basically doing the same things, and united by the same loving Father.
I hope you all had a beautiful Christmas, wherever you are... whether it was warmly filled with familiarity, or excitingly different. Much love at Christmas, and heading towards 2012!
P.S. Oh, and this was a bit before Christmas (the night we put up decorations in our house, to be exact, but I just had to share our amazing vegetable soup with flatbread Christmas stars... Our very own invention! Was quite excited about this.)
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