The last few months included some major holidays…according to our calendar at least! Thailand being Buddhist culture didn’t celebrate any of them. However, our new family did celebrate one: Christmas!

Here’s what it was like:

The children’s extended families were invited to come visit a few days before Christmas. When they arrived, we served them lunch (pork and sticky rice) and the kids gave them some presents (hand-me-down clothes, photos, hand made cards, etc). The children sang a Christmas song, and then played some games with their families. It was so wonderful to put faces to names of the family members the kids are always talking about!

On Christmas morning Kahlan and I opened some cards and gifts sent by friends and family. It was such a blessing to open each card and read the all the encouraging words!

Later, I tried to make our traditional Christmas breakfast for the kids. Cinnamon rolls! In a skillet…On a stove top. Really, for the first 20 minutes I thought I was going to pull it off. Then the smoke started roiling out; I had a moment of panic. I briefly contemplated the fact that the kids had never eaten cinnamon rolls before. I thought to myself, “How would they know they weren’t supposed to be black on the bottom and doughy in the middle?”  But, no. Kahlan would give me away. Also, I would have to eat one. Plus, I mean, moral grey area, right? I momentarily imagined, Jesus crossing him arms and raising a single eyebrow to me as I shrug and explain to the children, “This is just what cinnamon rolls are like”. We ended up having noodles, just to be safe.

That evening we celebrated with the Pillon’s, sharing a meal and watching the children each open a few gifts. It was a different sort of Christmas for us. Without family, shopping, a tree, lights, cooking, or carols, it felt nothing like our traditional “Christmas” – but it did feel more like a celebration of Christ. The lack of resources and “busy-ness” that usually accompanies all these things allowed us to redefine what it meant to celebrate the birth of our Lord. Instead of a time of stress and obligations, it was a time of peace and meditation for us. A lesson I plan to take back to the States when we return.

Anyway, thanks for catching up with us! We hope that all of you had a joyful holiday season.

Lots of love and peace,
Monika & Kahlan