Christmas Eve

It’s here! Merry Christmas Eve to all! May you all be spending it with all your loved ones. If you find yourself alone this Christmas, you are never really alone. Yes, you can’t be with the ones you want to be with in person, but they could be just a phone call away.

I don’t want to make this a sad post because today is not a sad day! It’s the day before Christ was born. It’s time to celebrate!

I might not be able to spend my Christmas with my family in person, but I know I’m not alone. I have friends here who is also foreigners, who also celebrate Christmas, and who also miss home! (Russians work on a different calendar and so Christmas is only on the 7^th of January)

We will be having our own little celebration tomorrow in our Russian class. We have the best teacher who arranged everything! Even on Wednesday, it was the girl from Chile’s birthday. The teacher arranged a mini party to celebrate her birthday in class.

We are only 3 students (girls) in this year’s Russian class. (If I’m not mistaken, in the previous year there were 8 students) Here is a photo of me and the girl from Equatorial Guinea (Central Africa) on Wednesday.

She was the first to arrive in Kazan, in mid-September. I arrived end October and the girl from Chile arrived about 2 weeks ago.

Me and the girl from Central Africa can only communicate through Russian, as she knows no English and I don’t know Spanish. The girl from Chile is Spanish and can speak English. She can also already speak fairly well Russian as she has been in Russia in different cities a few times.

It’s so funny, that when people hear there is a girl from South Africa, they immediately assume it’s the girl from Central Africa. (The girl in the photo with me.) Then when I say it’s me, they look at me all amazed! They even take a second glance between me and the other girl.

Here is some photos of us two yesterday. We went on a little shopping spree….just because we can!  😀

Anyways. I’m going to keep this one short so that you can get back to your celebrations. If anyone might be reading this and you aren’t able to be with family this year, look around, you will find some friends and people in the same shoes. Why not get together and make a new family? No one should be alone this season! I will be spending my Christmas Eve with some friends here. Although it might not be the typical Christmas Eve that I’m used to, I will make the best of my circumstances.

If you can’t be with family, start a new one! 😀

And then if you can’t find people to spend the day with, you can spend it with the One who was born on this day! He is always with you! Trust me I know how it feels! Even if you do find yourself with friends, you can’t always help but miss your family. Make the best of your situation, this too will pass. It won’t be like this forever!

I realized this while walking home the other night. Kazan is actually a little more of a Muslim country (no offence to any believers), although all religions live in harmony here. Basically, you won’t really hear Christian music playing, especially Christian Christmas music. Out of all places, I heard “Silent night” playing out loud, outside, so all could hear as you would walk pass…. pass a Chinese Restaurant!

Now how is that?!?

Christian music,  “Silent night”, playing in a Muslim country on the speakers of a Chinese Restaurant???

Christ is everywhere! You just need to open your eyes and soon you will see and hear him everywhere! I almost missed it. If it wasn’t that while I was walking, in deep thought, coming closer to that restaurant, started to hum with and snapped out of thought to realize what I was doing and why the song sounded so familiar. I wouldn’t have looked to see where the sound came from and realized what song it was…I would have not heard Him. I would not have seen! He is everywhere!

He is with you and me…Always! We are never alone!

A Merry Christmas to all!!! May the day be filled with love and joy. May the Holy Spirit fill your homes and bless you all!

To Live is To Dance!

xoxo