TUESDAY DECEMBER 25Though it's the 11th Day of my Christmas holiday, it's actually Christmas day, and I'm glad to report that Santa took time to visit us (see photo).
Baby Jenna's first Christmas was duly videotaped for the grandparents. Hannah, when not decked out in a red and white cap, helped her younger sister open her packages. To my surprise, there were gifts for me, too: a lalaangii (see Day 6 post) and two books, including a wonderful book about Guinea.
We were joined for breakfast by a young Guinean man. When he asked about my family, he was visibly moved to learn that, like him, I had lost both of my parents. This led to a long conversation about sorrow and happiness and hope. I was glad to be able to tell him about the steady hope I have because of the centuries of promises, recorded in the Old and New Testaments, that God fulfilled in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It was a surprising conversation, but fitting for Christmas day, since Christmas has no meaning outside of those promises.
In the evening, we attended a huge Christmas dinner hosted by a friend of Jim and Becky's, complete with two turkeys (which I attempted to carve), stuffing, mashed potatoes, home-made rolls, and a host of other wonderful dishes, including several fabulous desserts. The crowd was broadly international--American, Canadian, Egyptian, French, and Guinean, perhaps more--and the entertainment ranged from dominoes to card tricks to jigsaw puzzles to live hammered dulcimer music (hmmmm). It was a treat to be invited, a great way to close out Christmas day.
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