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This is Sister Mercedes, and today her and Claire have been scouring different pieces of land in the Dominican Republic looking for the one to build the new Nazareth House on. Since getting the Green light from both Mission Direct and our partner charity in-country, the Samaritan Foundation, it's been all systems go getting funding, land, plans and materials to a point where we can start building this summer! It's VERY exciting! And also quite scary; but where God leads, God also provides - so in his strength we trust to bring all of this together, rather than even our own best attempts!
In light of my own being back in the family home, I am reminded that for some, "home" is a place of question and uncertainty. For many people around the world, and many families in our own country, affording the rent on a house may be difficult; heating the house or buying enough food may be the difficult choice parents are making each day; and presents, well, as I was always reminded as a young child, "they don't grow on trees"! But through little pockets of people across this country doing fundraising, the hard work of Claire alongside Sister Mercedes, and those volunteering to go on a Mission Direct team to the Dominican Republic next summer, one big family will hopefully soon have a house fit for their needs, without the fear of being evicted and with a few more funds to spend on all the other basic needs for their lives. Through generosity and sharing resources we can make a difference to those struggling to get by this Christmas. Who could you help? Who could you give a real gift of meaning to at this time of festive cheer? If you could possibly help support this building project, perhaps consider donating the value of just one Christmas present this year to our #EnoughStuff Just Giving page. As we get further into the final 10 day countdown to Christmas, let's remember the real reason we all give presents - God has given us so much more than we could ever give or receive on earth, but he calls us to give what we can to be his hands and feet and heart here on earth. " “Are you ready for Christmas?” asked a guy I see at the train station every day. I thought of the long list of gifts I still needed to buy and the calendar crammed with holiday events and parties, and I shook my head. “Hardly,” I said, and we both laughed knowingly.
On my train ride downtown I turned off my iPod and let my mind ponder that question a little deeper. “Am I ready for Christmas?” This time I thought about the meaning of the holiday—the Son of God coming to earth to dwell among us and show us the way to eternal life. Again I shook my head and murmured to myself, “Hardly.” It was then that I vowed to take advantage of every opportunity to prepare my heart for the coming of the Christ Child into the world—the world you and I live in. What I discovered was that if we know what we're preparing for, everything we encounter on the way to Christmas can prepare us for the coming of Christ, not only in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago but also into our homes, our families, our workplaces, and our communities. The usual December distractions can instead become holy moments when we find the Christ Child in our midst. Having the right attitude and perspective on the season will help you and your family avoid the excesses that make certain Christmas preparations frantic, yet draining and disappointing. As theologian John Shea says, “The task seems to be the delicate one of learning to make the customs and traditions of Christmas serve the Spirit.” Take a look at some of December's demanding activities with new eyes, eyes that fully expect to find God in every moment of this season of hope. " ~ A story from Tom McGrath, on today's link in Loyola Press' Advent Calendar The concept of "home" is a funny concept; when I'm at Uni and around Cambridge, if I say I'm 'heading home' I mean back to my college room, where I live for those 8-10 week bursts. But then towards the end of term, we all talk about when we're 'going home', meaning going back to the family home for the vacations. And when I was out in the Dominican Republic, even though only for 3 months, I 'went home' from working with the teams to the apartment I was renting while I was out there. In a discussion about this while I was there, I remember Claire (the missionary I was working with) saying that the question 'Where is home?' "only gets more difficult to answer". So I "came home", back to the family home, today and soon slotted back into the craziness of being with my sisters again! I'm sat in a full living room (though still with a gap left for my other sister who gets back from Uni at the end of this week!), surrounded by noise - the TV's on but it might as well not be because we're all talking and laughing too much to hear anything happening on it anyway! The living room is wonderfully decorated, with various strings of Christmas lights around the tops of the walls, and I've started catching up on the red doors (my ones!) of the painted Advent House calendar, in which I find white chocolate truffles my dad has made specially for me (I'm the big white chocolate fan of the house!). It's wonderful and yet still strange; strange to not have my friends around, especially not to have Thomas around - strange to have a choice of rooms to be in rather than just one - strange to have other people in most of those rooms(!) - strange to have responsibilities beyond myself (it's no longer acceptable to pile up all the crockery in the house after I use it until there's none left and no longer possible to just do what I feel like when I feel like it as things now have to be planned in advance so that joint plans can be made as well as individual ones). It's strange, for sure, but it's definitely home. And all the strangeness of family only makes me cherish it more. Family is such a big part of Advent and Christmas: it's an excuse to come together! To come together and embrace that strangeness, because the joy and wonderfulness of being together is right at the centre of it. I will always love my strange and wonderful family - and I know I will always be loved by them.
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AuthorI'm a recent Cambridge Theology graduate now studying for a Masters in Biblical Studies and blogging about all sorts of things! I'm interested in faith, Church, theology, social action, the great outdoors and being creative, and all of those things - along with many more - come through in my posts!
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