Not departing for Spain on our original date of December 7, 2010 meant that we were home for the holidays to the delight of many but especailly our families. So, Thnaksgiving could remain just that, and Christmas could still be celebrated at the end of December as usual rather than the end of November. While being in the US enabled us to still participate in our yearly traditions and gatherings, the festivities were a less than traditional experience.
One of the areas with a less than traditional experience was our involvement at church during this busy season. First noted, last year, Jared and I oversaw and prepared the church fellowship's Thanksgiving meal. Our potential departure around the holiday halted any committment we could make in being a part of the preparations for this year's meal. To make us even more diconnected from the event, we were unable to even attend due to an extended family Thanksgiving gathering happening the same day and time. Of second note, as the church decorator for the past three years, I usually spend every weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas getting to church early to decorate the stage and place of worship for our fellowship. (We worship in a transformed gymnasium. Therefore, everything must be put up and taken down each week to allow use of the gym during the week for the school and sports ministry programs.) However, this year, I only did the initial decorating (which I was so blessed to be able to do) and in doing so gave a tutorial and turned over the weekly decorating set up to another now in charge of this responsibility. Thirdly, we have an annual Ladies Christmas Tea that I enjoy hosting a table at, decorating our facilities for, and/or, like last year, organized the whole event and program. However, this year, I went as merely a guest, but at the last minute, Jared was able to attend and serve as a maitre d'. One thing remained constant at church during this otherwise unusual and untraditional experience. We were blessed as always to spend our traditional Christmas Eve at our church with family and friends.
The other area most noteably affected in non tradition was in our family's gift giving and receiving. After selling or giving away just about every possession, we had very short wants/needs list to give as gift ideas for the parents (grandparents). With a lull in income coming in due to the lack of work (and not suppose to have been here), we had very little resources to give gifts to our families as we have traditionally done. Yes, Christmas is NOT about the gifts we give and get from man but about The GIFT we receive from God through Jesus Christ. However, our families are REALLY into gifts and conversations concerning this comes about every year. We are blessed that our girls are unaffected by the culture of the day and do not find value in numerous possessions and the desire for abundance of gifts. Instead, when asked what they wanted, each of us responded in a similar way. One, a happy and healthy family. Two, our letter to arrive from Spain so that we could start the visa paperwork process. God was gracious in giving us these that we asked for in prayer. Our family was joyful because of the amazing majesty of our Lord, and we were blessed with good health. Our invitation letter arrived the week before Christmas as another testimony to God's pefect timing and the glory of His perfect gifts. Yes, we gave a short list to family, Jared and I's list consisted only of luggage. (We needed 8 peices. I found peices that fit our needs and let our parents know where to find them. The expense out of our budget would have been significant. So, we asked for them as gifts which our families were gracious to get and give and we were to receive.) Our girls asked for nothing, but after the grandparents counseling with us on some of their ideas, the girls were blessed with a great gift from each set of grandparents. The Staytons' got the girls each a Nintendo DS with some games. This was a great gift since the girls have NO toys except for one baby doll, a couple stuffed animals, and a couple of coloring books each. The thought that these would also be great time fillers for our travel with expected layovers and the long flight overseas. The Zetterberg's got the girls things to document their experience in Spain. Jara recevied a digital camcorder (that her parents don't even own) and Laila recevied a digital camera (about as nice as mine). Nana wants to see Spain through their eyes. What a fabulous idea! So, hopefully some of the videos and pictures that you will be enjoying on this blog will come from our little roving reporters! :)
While we were disappointed to not be in Spain for our first Christmas there, God really did some wonderful things in our hearts and in the heart of others while we were here. Our families needed a little while longer to adjust with the reality of our departure. We have been making the most of this pause to spend as much time as any of our schedules will allow together. God is truly blessing our time and compounding what time we do get to spend in fellowship with them. God also solidified in our hearts our great desire and burden for the Spainish people and to be in Spain. While before our original date, the girls were nervous and uncertain and interested in this adventure. After the date came and went without us, the girls realized their excitement and disappointment from not leaving and no longer have the anxiety about our move to Spain. God also impressed upon us the importance of the time we spend together as a family. How He is unifying us and the girls, making us closer and in better communication with one another and showing us how our material things are not what matters but how much we as His children matter to each other.
One final story that brought this realization of the bonding of our family to point was our Christmas gifts to one another. Jared and I are big on experiences, not things, as gifts, and especailly so this year with not needing anymore stuff and the lack of funds coming in where we don't get out of the house much. We had decided that since Christmas was on a Saturday. We would give the girls their gift Christmas morning. (Not our usual tradition as we normally exchange gifts Christmas Ever after church service and dinner. We had told the girls to not expect anything form us this year. So, we thought a Christmas morning surprise would be fun.) We had decided a few weeks before Chirstmas to take the girls out to lunch after church on Sunday to one of their favorites, Red Robin, and then on to a movie. We were very excited in surprising them with this gift and had told no one of our plans. So, you can imagine our surprise on Christmas Eve when they presented Jared and I with a gift that they had gotten for us while out with Grandma prior to the holiday. As we opened the gift, God revealed the closeness of our family. The girls had gotten for us gift certificates to Red Robin and the movie theater so we could have a date night!! It was a fabulous surprise, and we had to then spill our pending surprise to them. It was an occasion for our family to rejoice in the bond that God instills in us and grows between us on a daily basis. Yes, we praise God for His gifts...of family, of letters, of timing, but most importantly, of His Son!
