Our first Christmas in Malawi has come and gone and was quite delightful, if I do say so myself. The weather cooperated (mid-80’s, no rain) as did our little lady (mostly). I still struggle with the whole tropical Christmas thing. There’s just something about hot chocolate and sweaters and snow. Christmas is definitely the time I miss Minnesota the most each year. BIG SIGH.
Thank goodness for Skype though. It *almost* feels like we’re there in person. And the internet even cooperated which is a miracle in itself! We got in quality skype time with both sets of Grandparents and cousin Armin.
Nia was so excited for Santa to come. She was very concerned about how he was going to get in the house since we have so many bars on our windows and our chimney had been sealed up. We assured her that Santa always finds a way. Â :)
Santa had a big surprise for us all though. When we woke up Christmas morning, there was a pile of gifts not only for Nia, but for Michelle and Evelyn too! So at 6:15 AM Nia ran screaming up to the Headquarters to let the girls know about this exciting development.
You see, Santa had never been to visit them before (neither Santa nor gift giving are big things here). We’re pretty sure it was Michelle & Evelyn’s lack of chimney that had prevented Santa from visiting, so it was smart thinking on his part to use our chimney to deliver to all 3 girls! One thing we still can’t figure out though is why the guard didn’t push the panic button when he saw the sleigh land on our roof. Perhaps he was too awed by this magical sight…  :)
Now it was finally time to get on with the present opening. Santa was so smart – each girl had 5 gifts. So perfect for the present-opening rotation! Nia had a hard time controlling her jealousy. She was certain that Evelyn had better gifts than her! I think it was a little challenging not being the center of all the attention. Â :) I also heard Santa may have re-allocated some of Nia’s presents to Evelyn at the last moment due to a delayed Fedex delivery to the North Pole, so that explains why so many of Evelyn’s gifts were things that had been on her Christmas list.
Nia found plenty of things in her pile to delight over though, especially her new Lion Guard figurines.
Here’s a look at what was in Nia’s 5 packages:
And here’s what Santa brought for Evelyn:
And for Ms. Michelle, the almost-10-year-old:
This was definitely a joy-filled Christmas and I continue to feel so grateful for the unique opportunities and experiences that are finding us here in Malawi. I hope your celebrations were equally wonderful.
Pirate Bride Nia wishes you a Happy New Year!
