A very different kind of Christmas.

Christmas at home usually involves a lot of family time. On Christmas day my family (My Mum, Dad and my 2 brothers) start the day with breakfast and then opening of presents. Then on that day or on boxing day we see my Mums family and my Dads family. There are lots of gift, lots of chat and most of all LOTS of food! 

This year Christmas has been totally different. People have been asking me if I get the day off here on Christmas day, but the thing is the babies dont disappear on Christmas. 

I began the day again at 5am. Before the kids woke up presents where hidden around the nursery. All the gifts that the kids get have been donated, its amazing to see the generosity. When the kids wake we all opened the presents. It was amazing, there was such joy on all the little faces. 

Then the day kind of goes on as usually. I spend the next 4 hours with the lions, changing nappies, feeding them, changing them, playing with them, caring for them. Many of the kids are sick at the moment, something is going around. So there is a little bit of extra work. 

Then I spent the next 2 hours, while the kids where asleep, doing the dishes, preparing food for the kids, changing the sheets, doing the laundry, changing the bins, preparing bottles. 

I then spent the next 3 hours trying to re-act the Christmas story with the little ones. They got dressed up in costumes and where assigned a character. It was total chaos, but they where able to hear the Christmas message and how great Jesus is! 

I then spent the final 5 hours of the day with the fledges. These are the 3 month old babies. It was just the 7 of them and the 1 of me. I spent the time feeding them, changing them, bathing them, settling them, loving them and finally trying very unsuccessfully to put them to sleep. Made me wish I asked for extra arms for Christmas. 

By the time they are all down it was already 7pm. A very different Christmas to what it would be at home. 

I thought that Christmas day would be a day that I would feel really home sick. Or a day where I would feel really bitter about being here in Africa, because lets face it, this Christmas I wouldnt be spending any time with my family, I wont be getting presents and there wont be as much food. But I wasnt bitter or homesick, I was humbled. Because I felt like this Christmas was the first time I really spending the day focused on serving. Focused on showing Gods love to the kids. Focused on putting the kids needs before mine. It was a Christmas where I felt like I really bought glory to God.