Merry Christmas from Kuwait!!

I can't believe it is Christmas Eve! It is a very cool, yet very pleasant 21 degrees outside and from peering out the window, it appears most of Kuwait is tucked into bed. It feels so bizarre to be spending my first Christmas away from my family. The good thing is that because it's not a celebrated holiday over here, there's no big build up and hence no great bouts of homesickness - just little ones. Like today. I am definitely homesick today and I will most definitely be homesick tomorrow. However, because we don't get any extra days off for Christmas, I will be back at school teaching on "Boxing Day" and all will feel normal once again. The homesickness will pass and the reality of lesson plans, marking and progress report due dates will set in. LOL.

Tonight I spent my time with good friends and adopted family. As I sit here, I am thankful once again for how God provides. Instead of being alone on Christmas Eve, Liz and Gary had me sleep over and spend it with them. I love being their adopted 'kid'! A bunch of us gathered at their place tonight and ate, talked, laughed and just enjoyed the fact that we may all be missing friends and family, but we all understand and managed to come together to make our own Christmas cheer. :) Liz, Gary and I worked hard earlier this week to design the construction of our gingerbread masterpiece - The Gingerbread Mosque! That's right, Gary designed the pattern pieces, Liz and I made the dough and baked them and then Bill and I "glued" them all together with icing. And tonight we all decorated it! One of our Arabic friends, Alia, even made an Arabic chocolate snowman complete with a gutra and egal (the tradition male head covering)! Pretty sweet, eh?

Well I better head to bed as it is now past midnight, so technically Christmas Day - MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone! :)

T'was the night before Christmas and all through Kuwait,

All the streets cats were fighting outside of my 'bayt'. ('house' in Arabic)

The air was a-buzz with the chance of a storm,

Bringing fresh-blown sand to dust up my dorm.

My tree was alight in my small living room,

Bringing Christmasy cheer to push out any gloom!

How I miss all my family, my friends, and my dog,

You better make sure that you all read my blog! (nice, subtle hint, eh?Lol!)

Merry Christmas to everyone, here and back home,

Wishing you love and joy - shalom. :)

Merry Christmas from Kuwait! :)