Christmas in Dodoma

Christmas Eve we went out to the house of some friends. They are Americans who we don’t know greatly well, but we have been round there for a few ‘occasions’. I don’t know if they are typical of Americans, but they have the most amazing house, and the most amazing stuff. Their house is a bit like a show-home, but they are such lovely people you really can’t begrudge them anything!

There were about 7 families there. We mosied round the garden for a while (the kids playing alternately on the bouncy castles, rope slide, siwngs, trampoline, tree house (which doesn’t even begin to describe it)). Then we went inside for food (good food !), and then we played the ‘white elephant’ game. If you haven’t played this before, it’s a bit difficult to describe – basically it involves a whole bunch of ‘presents’ (i.e. everyone brings their old junk), which people ‘steal’ from each other. It’s a great laugh, and everyone ends up going home with something they don’t need. Except we seemed to do OK, with toys for the kids they were actually happy with.

We got back late from this – the kids didn’t get to bed until about 9.30 – probably the latest they’ve been to bed since we’ve been here. We then stayed up until 11.00 wrapping stocking pressies (which is probably about the latest we’ve stayed up since we’ve been here!)

We were very blessed on Christmas morning, because it was a very grey morning with thunderstorms and torrential rain – probably only the 4th time it’s rained this rainy season (i.e. since around March). This meant that the kids didn’t bounce out of bed at 6.00am having been woken by the sun, but actually slept in until 7.15 – Caleb slept in until 7.45! This is about the best Christmas present we could have got! It also meant that, lying in bed at 7.30 listening to the downpour, I almost got a bit of that ‘Christmas feeling’. It’s a bit hard to get into the Christmas spirit in 30+ degrees, but the rain really helped. Good job really; after the late night I think I’d have been a bit of a scrooge otherwise.

We had the usual stocking opening when Caleb roused himself from bed. We also opened the few presents that we had (Libby’s parents are coming at the beginning of January, so most things are coming then – we think J). Then I set up my old Playstation (which was one of the presents we had given the kids). We brought it when we came to TZ, and I have only got to play on it about twice since we arrived. I kind of figure that if the kids ‘have’ it, and it is out in the lounge all the time, I’ll probably get more chance! They (and I) had fun playing ‘Ready to Rumble Boxing’. Libby went over to a colleague’s house to help out with getting ready for the Christmas meal while we played.

Around 12.30 we all drove over there for the ‘mass MAF Christmas lunch’. We did something like this last year, but only around 20 people came. This year everyone who was in Dodoma decided to come, so we were around 45 people. This meant that Libby’s organising was a bit more work! It was all worth it though – it was a really good time, and the food was great – a bit over-catered on the first course – we probably had around 10 chickens left! Afterwards the kids (and most of the blokes) watched ‘Cars’, while the rest of the adults chatted. We got back around 5.30. The kids didn’t get to bed until 8.00-ish though, as we are in holiday, ‘not-needing-to-get- the-kids-on-the-school-bus-by-7.20’ mode.

Today we are dealing with the aftermath of two late nights – but it will hopefully be a nice quiet ‘normal’ Boxing Day – playing with presents and watching loads of TV’ (or DVDs in our case).

I will be enjoying 4 days without even thinking about work – and hopefully another 4 after that without two many work-related interruptions! Libby will be enjoying moral support on the ‘home-front’. The kids will be enjoying not being at school; playing with their new stuff, eating their new stuff and generally being kids on holiday.

We hope that you all have an enjoyable and restful Christmas and New Year period, and get time to reflect on the amazingness of God, Creator of everything, making himself the nothing of a human baby, so that we who are nothing, get to share in God’s everything.

Happy Christmas.