Christmas in Chad ...

Well, another Christmas has come and passed.  I just wanted to share with you a little about what our week looked like.



Don't get fruit like this in America

Christmas eve we had a few families over for lunch.  There was talk of getting a pig, then chickens, and in the end we simply used beef in a rice dish and in a veggie stew.  We had fresh chapattis to go along with the meal as well.  It was a fun time with friends.  We also prepared little gift bags for all the children.  The kids chose a few of their toys and shirts to donate to the gifts and we purchased a little candy as well.  It was fun to be able to give the families something special for the holidays.  We also had a huge dessert platter with banana cake, pumpkin cake, and of course a variety of our Christmas cookies.  The best part, in my opinion, was our giant bowl of fruit salad: papaya, banana, watermelon, pineapple.  I admit that we were quite tired in the evening but we still managed to do a carol sing around a bonfire in our yard.  We looked at the stars, talked about why Christmas was special to us, and I got to snuggle with an Abdoulaye on my lap.  It was nice to spend a little bit of time with the guard's family.  It wasn't exactly a silent night, but it was very enjoyable.

For my family ...

Waiting to unwrap ...

Christmas morning I shared a tradition that my mom used to do when I was a kid.  I made cinnamon rolls in the shape of a Christmas tree for breakfast along with eggs.  After eating we read the Christmas story together and then the kids opened their gifts.  I am grateful that my mom has been sending me newspaper comics because they were turned into wrapping paper for Christmas.  The kids were pleased with their gifts and spent the rest of the morning playing.  Well, Jo and I played as well by helping the girls build their new Lego structures.  In the afternoon we were invited to visit one of the local pastor's houses.  We were provided with a delicious meal, though none of us were extremely hungry.  I excused myself after the meal because it had reached my scheduled time to chat with family.  I am sure that that was something that the pastor and his wife had never heard before, but when you have family in 4 different time zones, you've got to do what you've got to do.  Unfortunately the Internet decided not to work for me and I missed out on my family chat.  I am still awaiting my make up time.

The rest of the week has been a time of relaxing a bit and enjoying the break from school and preparing for one event or another.  Thursday we return to our usual schedule with school, but until then we shall enjoy our time relaxing.  I hope others enjoyed a crazy, enjoyable, and relaxing holiday!  Happy New Year from Chad! 

Cakes and Cookies oh my