Our first Christmas in Zimbabwe - Fruitcake.

Fruitcake seems to be a traditional staple of the Christmas season. I have never really had a taste for it, or understood anyone who does, but the elements of fruitcake do resemble our first Christmas in Zimbabwe - a season full of ingredients we could not identify at first bite. 

This season has been like no other. We miss our family, the traditions and the snow. We are homesick, but we are trying to lean in to this fleeting and rare blessing - celebrating the Savior's birth as full-time missionaries. We have appreciated the muted expectations and busyness. We feel joy as we worship with missionaries who live humble lives. 

Due to covid restrictions we gathered by zone for 7 Christmas conferences. We held all but one in our home. We took out the furniture and set up tables and chairs to try and offer a place of warmth, hospitality and Christmas spirit. Even though we didn't have a Christmas tree or the gifts that go under it, it was meaningful to observe what Christmas joy can feel like when missionaries gather.

Christmas conference with our South Zone

Our North Zone's Christmas Conference

Christmas Conference for our Bindura Zone

We traveled to be with our Mutare Zone

Christmas in the Kadoma Zone

Christmas Conference for our Kadoma Zone

East Zone Christmas Conference

Together we learned and practiced important missionary skills, we sang Christmas hymns, played 'President Says' (Simon Says), and Gary and I both shared messages.

African Christmas traditions look different than ours. The holiday is spent traveling to be with extended family, feasting and spending the day together. Sometimes children are gifted new clothes to wear to the celebration, but not always. I have never seen so much glee and delight over a simple $5 Secret Santa gift game.

Many missionaries have heard of ‘Santa Claus’ but most have never experienced a Christmas morning like we do in the states. We had an idea for a Christmas surprise for them. A visit from President Claus, who had a small journal and some Christmas sweets for each of them in his bag.

As I listened to them squeal and laugh and cheer, I could not help but feel a private dose of shame equal to my joy, thinking of all the Christmas' past when I had spent too much energy and money on the wrong things, trying to create a perfect Christmas for my family. Or worse yet, feeling disappointed with someone else's offering to me. The voice in my head kept quoting Dickens. “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, benevolence, were all my business." ― A Christmas Carol

We shared our Christmas Eve with missionaries, and felt buoyed up as we all shared our testimonies with each other by candlelight. 

We kept Christmas Day to ourselves and enjoyed it quietly together at home so that we could join the kids via zoom on their Christmas Eve and then again to watch the littles on Christmas morning. Our children were so thoughtful and prepared the 12 days of Christmas for us and Christmas jammies with our family theme. We had a personal note from each family member along with snapshots for us to open together. We looked forward to it every day and would pour over their words during dinner and smile through our tears. It was the perfect gift.

An unexpected gift. 

Meet at the Tree.

I have not yet acquired a taste for fruitcake, and don't believe I ever will. But in this Christmas there were pieces of things I'd never tasted before. Sweet and savory, joyful and sad, with a healthy dash of grateful - now all tucked away until next year. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.

 "God Bless Us, Everyone."