How is it in a country where only 6% of the population identify themselves as Christians that the South City Mall, just a 15 minute walk from my place of residence, is all decked out for Christmas!!!??? Of course, it is the secular Christmas with Santa and his reindeer, their home, I suppose it is, looks like a castle! Those who work in the food court are even wearing Santa hats!!! It is all too much, and I am longing for the peace and quiet of the hills of Mussoorie!!!
We took the kids who remain at Pauline Bhavan to the Mall today. I suppose it was fun for them to see it, and they have gotten quite a bit of the real meaning of Christmas over the course of the month.
We had a little party up in my flat last night. It was fun, and I admit that I have only added to the decadence of the season by introducing them to Nutella!!! I somehow wanted to do something with cookies yesterday, but couldn't find anything attractive in the "regular" sort of super market where I visited. So, when I spied the chocolate spread that reminds me of my chocoholic mother, I couldn't resist. They loved it, and we had a good time together. Tomorrow we are having lunch after church with our family there. I am looking forward to it. Then we are planning our own little special dinner together tomorrow night. There are 11 of us still there. Usually we are 24. Oh, and we got a new little girl the other day. Today is the first day she hasn't wailed . . . no tears . . . she is quite certain that she will return to New Market tomorrow. New Market is another old shopping area in the city, and the surrounding slum is something to behold! Ekta is from there. She seems fairly bright, is around 8 and when she isn't wailing, she is pleasant. Shovash, also a new resident, a boy, wore the shoes Kamlesh used to wear today to the mall. Thoughts of what might happen to him still makes us sad!
I have been asked to share thoughts (3 to 4 minutes worth) on what Christmas means to me. I'd already been thinking about that. Phil 2:1-11 come to mind. To think of Jesus leaving heaven to come and live on earth . . . in the context of living in Kolkata causes me to ponder coming from Richmond to be a slum dweller. This is not something that I have done, and it is not something that I think I could do, but Jesus did it for me. I cannot but bow at His feet and worship.
Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift!!!
Merry Christmas to you all!!!
We took the kids who remain at Pauline Bhavan to the Mall today. I suppose it was fun for them to see it, and they have gotten quite a bit of the real meaning of Christmas over the course of the month.
We had a little party up in my flat last night. It was fun, and I admit that I have only added to the decadence of the season by introducing them to Nutella!!! I somehow wanted to do something with cookies yesterday, but couldn't find anything attractive in the "regular" sort of super market where I visited. So, when I spied the chocolate spread that reminds me of my chocoholic mother, I couldn't resist. They loved it, and we had a good time together. Tomorrow we are having lunch after church with our family there. I am looking forward to it. Then we are planning our own little special dinner together tomorrow night. There are 11 of us still there. Usually we are 24. Oh, and we got a new little girl the other day. Today is the first day she hasn't wailed . . . no tears . . . she is quite certain that she will return to New Market tomorrow. New Market is another old shopping area in the city, and the surrounding slum is something to behold! Ekta is from there. She seems fairly bright, is around 8 and when she isn't wailing, she is pleasant. Shovash, also a new resident, a boy, wore the shoes Kamlesh used to wear today to the mall. Thoughts of what might happen to him still makes us sad!
I have been asked to share thoughts (3 to 4 minutes worth) on what Christmas means to me. I'd already been thinking about that. Phil 2:1-11 come to mind. To think of Jesus leaving heaven to come and live on earth . . . in the context of living in Kolkata causes me to ponder coming from Richmond to be a slum dweller. This is not something that I have done, and it is not something that I think I could do, but Jesus did it for me. I cannot but bow at His feet and worship.
Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift!!!
Merry Christmas to you all!!!
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