We have a wondrful temporary addition to our family. Her name is Weiyi and she is from Beijing, China. She's a live doll and she will be with us for the next three weeks.Her parents sent her here with a program to help her learn American culture and practice her English in an immersion setting.
She chose Yvonne for her English name. Her English is very good, and she is coming out of her shell and talking more and more as she feels more comfortable with us.
Each morning at 9:00 we drop her off at school and pick her up at 5:00.
Last night, her homework was to interview our family about our Christmas customs.
It isn't as easy to explain to an outsider as we think it would be.
And it certainly didn't sound like much just ticking off our yearly itinerary.
As I attempted to explain that Christmas means more to us than just presents, family and food, it sounded hollow in my own ears.
For fun, we dragged out our video from last Christmas, so she could see our tree and our family enjoying each other.
But what really sets Christmas apart in our hearts is not on the video.
No pictures of our nightly devotions around the advent candles at the dinner table.
No pictures of us reading Luke's account of Jesus' birth before bed.
No pictures of our reflection on our priorities or our constant discussions about commercialism and "cultural" Christianity versus "authentic" Christianity.
I looked at my DH, and he looked at me.
How DO you explain Christmas to someone who has only a vague (and inaccurate) understanding of Christianity?
We have no idea what Yvonne thinks she knows about our culture. Her parents are members of the Communist Party. This is her first experience out of China, and we might just be the first Jesus she sees up close.
It humbles me to think of the incredible responsibility we have toward this sweet spirit.
I firmly believe that God knows who we are (flaws and all) and placed her in our home with a purpose in mind.
Please pray for our family as we rise to this challenge.
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