Christmas Presence

This year I had the huge blessing of spending Christmas in Germany. You're probably thinking, "Big deal - you always spend Christmas in Germany!" and you are very right. However, it IS a big deal to me because I did not expect to be spending this particular Christmas in Germany. A year ago I was beginning to think of life "after BFA" - where I would be, who I'd be with, etc. and I was preparing to apply to teach at ECA in Spain. I expected that I would spend Christmas in Spain this year, or if I was lucky, in America with my family. Then my visa application process took a few nasty turns and I ended up with an appointment to pick up my visa at the Spanish consulate in Germany on December 18. I figured if I was paying the money to fly to Germany, I might as well stick around for the holidays, especially since many of my friends in Spain were also leaving for break. My heart was overjoyed at the thought of being "home" for the holidays, and even though my closest friends were not here, I still enjoyed spending time with old and new friends alike.

I also had the privilege of staying in my own apartment, as the couple I am subletting to were away. I can't tell you what a huge blessing it was to sleep in my own bed, eat on my own dishes, and curl up with my own fuzzy brown blanket and a book. After all the stress and chaos and confusion of learning to live in Spain and finding my way in a new school, it was a much needed return to the comforts of home. Being able to unwind, decompress, and relax in my own apartment has helped renew my strength and prepare me for the next semester at ECA.

Christmas day can be quite lonely for single missionaries like me, so it's important to find a family to spend the holidays with. I lucked out in that I got to be with three different "families" over the course of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I am often invited to a Christmas meal at the home of a family, and this year was no different. My Christmas dinner was spent with three BFA staff families who I have known and worked with to varying degrees for five years, and being with them after having been gone was like being at home with my extended family. None of them are old enough to be my parents, so it felt like hanging out with my aunts and uncles while the cousins played rambunctiously in the next room. They wanted to hear all about Spain, and then, even on Christmas Day, our conversation turned to our students! These friends knew me well, and I was blessed to simply bask in the comfort of their friendship. Even though I didn't get to unwrap any presents on Christmas day, I was gifted with the presence of people I love and that was more meaningful than any tangible gift I could have received.