Christmas on the Mission Field

Posted by Rhodema | 0 comments

Ornaments, candles, hot spiced cider, laughter, presents—sounds like a commercial with all the best of the Norman Rockwell version of an American Christmas.

One holiday season I was asked by my church to write each of our church missionaries to inquire how they would be spending Christmas Day. I then posted the responses on our church blog. It was humbling.

None of the missionary families spent the day as I did, sitting near a warm fire, tearing through a stack of shiny, wrapped packages. Instead, I heard of observing the holiday by delivering shoes and blankets to street children found rummaging through a garbage dump. Rather than joining a joyous throng at a modern church building, some missionary friends celebrated secretly behind shuttered windows for fear of arrest. Longings for far-away family members and favorite holiday dishes were common.

My discovery made me realize how much I took my holiday celebration for granted.

December is a great time to focus with your children on missionary friends. They need the encouragement, and we have an opportunity to look into their worlds and do a little cultural geography.

Following are some guidelines you can follow to come alongside missionary friends from around the world. If you don’t support any missionaries personally, ask for a list of missionaries sponsored by your church. What better time to become acquainted!

• Enlist your children to locate the missionaries on a world map. With an atlas or internet search, find out what Christmas celebrations look like in the country where they serve. Can they celebrate openly—or is it illegal? What cultural traditions does the country have to celebrate the holiday? An excellent resource is: http://www.operationworld.org/

• If possible, email or write the missionaries and ask how they will spend Christmas day and how your family can pray for them. (It is important to be cautious when emailing those serving in countries closed to religious influence. Learn what protocol to use when contacting them openly so as not to jeopardize their work.)

• Incorporate a few Christmas traditions from around the world on the different nights your family gathers to read or light Advent candles. Try a recipe, a game or an art project to reflect the country where the missionaries serve. Read the responses from your missionary friends and pray as a family for their ministry.

• Let those serving on the mission field share in your prayers for them. Write out the prayers or video your family praying for each member of the missionary family—send it to them. Skype is another way to virtually pray together.

• Develop an ongoing relationship with those serving overseas. Do they have children that can become pen-pals with your children? Christmas may just be the starting point to relationships that will be a blessing on both sides of the globe.

Rhodema Cargill lives the parenting adventure with Calvin, her college sweetheart. They have two adult daughters and two teenagers still at home, a girl and a boy. Their homeschool style is eclectic with a great love of living history books. Rhodema is a freelance writer and speaker. Visit with her on her blog: MommyLife.