I had the privilege of being in Kenya with a team from Lucia Baptist Church for Christmas in Kenya 2008. We were serving at the Segera Mission during the week following Christmas and had the opportunity to share gifts with many women and children from this extremely poor area of Kenya. These gifts were purchased with the money that so many people in the USA had donated to make Christmas a lot more special for some kids and women in our communities in Kenya. I had come to Kenya after spending Christmas Day with some of my family in the USA. What a difference 8000 miles is. To go from the commercialism of Christmas in the US to the utter lack of almost everything in the Segera area can be difficult to adjust to and to comprehend. As we gave small gifts to the children and adults the faces of joy and gratitude were in such stark contrast to the discontent we see so often at home. These meager gifts were treated as gold by them as they humbly received the gifts they were given by the team. How and why are these people so appreciative of these small tokens? After many visits to Africa I realize that these people know where everything they have comes from. They know that God provides for them and because they are so aware of this, they are thankful for all they get and have, no matter what it is. We in the USA have lost this Godly thankfulness and have looked to self for what we have and we have forgotten who our provider is. This Christmas season is a perfect time to begin remembering where all you have comes from. Be Kenyan this Christmas and give thanks no matter what you have or where you are. Maybe when you do this, something will change within you and a Kenyan smile will appear on your face and you will look up and give thanks for who He is.
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