I'm Dreaming of a Wet Christmas

Let it pour! (Christmas Eve downpour)

Although we’ve been on the islands since 2009, this is only our 5th Christmas on the islands. It is very tempting to leave the islands at Christmas-time, because the islands are pretty miserable! Not because of homesickness though, because of the oppressive heat and humidity! This is our hot season. The season when the days are long and our hair and shirts are almost always soaked with sweat.

For our first few years on the islands, we made a point of vacationing off-island with our young kids and meeting up with family for the holidays. We went to cooler climates and had a break from the heat. But it’s a little strange to celebrate Christmas in a rented apartment or hotel room in a strange city. Christmas is a time for family traditions and it’s hard to do that at a vacation spot. Also we missed the opportunity to share with our island friends about the holiday and why it is so important to us.

Leading carols with English Club

So for 5 of the last 6 Christmases we’ve braved the heat and stayed at home on the islands and we’ve had the chance to create some of our own family traditions.  Albeit with two major limitations: it’s the wrong climate/season and no one else is celebrating.

Wrong Climate:
We may still listen to songs like “Let It Snow” on the islands, but we do not hold out hope of a white Christmas. Our daughter has taken to singing “I’m dreaming of a wet Christmas…” because it is the sporadic downpours and the accompanying cool breezes that provide relief to the heat! But with the Christmas heat comes some special Christmas treats— mangoes, pineapples and lychees in abundance! We have transitioned some traditions to the climate: playing in the snow becomes playing in the rain, snuggling by the fire becomes cooling off around the fan, Christmas fudge becomes Christmas fudgsicles!

Christmas celebration food

No One Else is Celebrating:
Now in the States, people are bombarded with the Christmas season (especially once Thanksgiving is over)— on TV, radio, in the shops, in neighborhoods…everything is decorated, carols fill the air and all products and activities become Christmas-themed in red and green. On the islands, our home is a little island of Christmas in the midst of crowds of people that don’t even know that there is a holiday coming up. So none of our traditions can depend on others… there are no Christmas concerts, no sleigh/hay rides, no Christmas tree lots, no services. But we do decorate our home and play Christmas music. We’ve slowly accumulated decorations when we travel to places that celebrate Christmas and there are always homemade ones (especially snowflakes). We celebrate advent with an advent wreath/candles and different calendars. The kids like to decorate our chalkboard.

Mary, Joseph and donkey with innkeeper

Others may not be celebrating, but we tell them about it. We have a Christmas party every year with our English Club. We give Christmas cookies to our neighbors. We answer islanders’ questions about the holiday.  We may be alone in our neighborhood, but we are not completely alone on the island, so most years we gather with the others who celebrate in the days around Christmas (whether our team, other foreigners or islanders) for a time of prayer or fun. We always manage at least one re-enactment of the nativity play each year (though improv style, with no rehearsals and limited props) and we usually have some kind of gift exchange.

The scene on Christmas morning might not be that different from people across the globe.  Our kids wake up early and will be impatient for us to wake up. We will be slow to open up our front door/gate so that we can have some family time together that morning without neighbors interrupting. We try to remember the amazing gift we have been given— unto us a Savior has been born!  Because once we do open up our front grate, we are reminded that outside our house, it is just an ordinary hot-season day on the islands.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We got the encouraging news that we have a new island sister! We have been praying for her for a long time and our colleagues on the small island have invested a lot in her. We were so excited to hear of her decision. Our kids have been healthy and enjoying their break from school. We’ve had some good chances to celebrate Christmas with our teammates (before they traveled) and with islanders at our English Club party. Despite rulings in the political trials on the big island, things have remained calm with no widespread unrest.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
The local brothers and sisters wanted to wait until some of them got back from traveling before celebrating— pray that it isn’t forgotten but that we do all gather to remember this important holiday. Some colleagues with a different organization are in the middle of a very difficult situation— pray for wisdom, humility and peace for all involved. The political rumors going around range from humorous to troubling- continue to persevere in prayer with us for peace, justice and good governance on the islands. We pray for a good Christmas for all our loved ones, here on the islands and abroad. May we all remember the hope, peace, joy and love found in the good news!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!