Christmas in Liberia

Christmas time is beautiful in Liberia. It has been my first green, hot, beach, sand, and sun Christmas and one I will never forget.

After a very busy beginning of December going from clinic to clinic in the rural bush villages of Nimba County doing clinical teaching with staff members, aiding in the accreditation preparation by the Ministry of Health, and bringing medical supplies to the clinics, I went to Monrovia to visit the Waines and spend the holiday with their family! It has been so special to be with them and the many people have made me feel somewhat like I am home. I feel like one of their children and Audry has a way to make one feel so welcomed.

I spent the vacation surfing and swimming at least one time every day. Christmas Eve I went on two swims and I also went on a long walk along the beach looking for shells to make into a necklace with Rebecca Waines. I find the ocean to be a place that is so peaceful and where I can just walk and talk to God so freely. I am in awe with His creation, His power!

On the 23rd we had many people over to the Waines and we had a Christmas Celebration. We first played games on the beach such as three legged race combined with dress up which was quite a sight to see. Three legged race to the pile of two sets of clothing, one for a lady and one for a man, and after you and your partner are fully dressed a three legged race back, tag your next team mates and they can go! The sand made it all the more fun! We also had a trust race with blindfolds and then we played a water game in the ocean where your team tires to fill their bucket with water before the other team but the bucket yo have to use has many wholes in it so you get pretty wet!

Christmas Day Santa Claus, aka Dave, came to the house, dressed in his African Santa outfit. He didn’t eat the cookies, drink the milk we left him, or respond to the note we wrote but he did hide our hobo sacks (stockings) around the house and I was one of the last people to find mine. We spent Christmas swimming, singing, playing the guitar, eating, and relaxing around the house

It was a special time and I thank God for Liberia, his creation, and the people here. Due to the lack of snow, lights, trees, Christmas Carrols on the radio or in the homes this season I was able to truly focus on the birth of Jesus Christ because that is the true reason to celebrate the season!