Away For the Holidays

One of the dilemmas that always faces me when I've considered making a big life move or change is that I won't be present for the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Easter) with my family.  It's one of those things that you know that you need to do, and it is something that could lead to a source of longing, or even depression if you don't handle it correctly.

Sharing a Meal of Fish Soup and Bread with meat paste

But if you frame it in a correct way, you can allow for the seasons surrounding the holidays to be a time of greatly rewarding reflection, and of inner growth.  A time where you can learn to appreciate the blessings you've had in life and how some of the experiences you've had in previous years have contributed to what you are doing now.

Almost every day I spend time with a group of graduated orphans, who are now studying at a state vocational school, and once or twice a week I get to see children who are currently living at an orphanage.  These children have rarely had a real Christmas (New Years for most people in Ukraine) celebration anywhere near what I, you, or even most Ukrainians are accustomed to.

Neighbor boy, Kirill, watching some of the guys play foosball

The idea that they'll wake up in the morning on Christmas Day and run down the stairs to see a huge pile of gifts and then a enormous turkey or ham with all the side fixins will be prepared for them and those who they value most dearly is completely foreign.  While many of them will be fortunate enough to be able to spend New Year's Eve with some family members, the fact that these types of things might not occur is not really a disappointment at this point in their lives, it is an expectation.

I know that now I'm that guy who makes you feel slightly guilty about how good you've got it around the holidays (or in general), but at the same time you should really use it as an opportunity to be quite grateful, and maybe even joyful.  Your wealth is a blessed resource which God has allowed you to have, but it is also a great responsibility which you must use to enable those in desperation.

An interesting web site that my father posted on Facebook, that I promptly stole from him is the Global Rich List, which allows you to enter your annual income to see where it matches up against the rest of the world.  I was surprised to find that even with my very modest (by American standards) income for working in Ukraine, I am still ranked within the top 14% in the entire world.  If you'd like to see where you stand, click here.

It's very easy to lack perspective, and to grumble about not having this gadget or that one, or that you can't afford to get this new car a full 5 years after you purchased the previous one (or one of the many many other examples that could be listed of lesser/greater ridiculousness).  But at least during this one time of year, we are told "peace on earth, and goodwill toward men."  I've heard that phrase a million times probably, but it didn't really sink in for me until recently when I was watching Disney's recent rendition of Charles Dickens'  A Christmas Carol.

Scrooge had gone through all the trauma of the three ghosts and the following morning (Christmas morning), he finds this sudden joy for life, and the abundance of life that can be found for himself and others when he sacrifices some of himself and his wealth for their well being.  He began to create peace on earth by showing goodwill towards his fellow man.  He essentially killed his former self and became a new individual, a better individual.

While, I doubt we will face dramatic experiences like Scrooge did, there are staggering truths that we know about our world today, and we know how we can make a difference by sacrificing just a little bit.  Please consider making additional contributions to organizations or missionaries during this holiday season.  Or even consider an alternative Christmas, where you make donations in your loved ones names.  You will be surprised at how much stress is relieved from this celebration, and how happy you are without the stuff of Christmas.

Here are some great organizations you could consider supporting this Christmas. Click their names to learn more and donate.

New Hope Center (Zaporozhye, Ukraine) - This is the center where I am working in Ukraine that provides services to orphans in the city.  We'll be opening up a vocational school for them and low-income students from villages and group homes in the next year, so your support is greatly appreciated.

Blood Water Mission - Their mission is simple.  Provide clean water for those in parts of the world (particularly Africa) where clean water is difficult to access.  Access to clean water is key to AIDS prevention.

Redeeming Families Orphan Ministries (Westfield, MA) - An orphan care ministry that is based in Western Massachusetts (and if you check out the board I'm sure some of you reading will recognize their faces).  They are currently focused in China, and also provide services to help those considering adoption