Advent au Niger

 Advent in Niger

We are celebrating advent and Christmas in Niamey, Niger this year – which feels surreal to be sure.

What will advent and Christmas look like and feel like: we wonder?  Of one thing we are certain.  This will be nothing like our advent/Christmas season in Edina, Minnesota. 

Here in Niamey, Niger there are no fir trees, no Christmas lights (maybe at the American Embassy,) no snow, actually hardly any visible reminders of what at home is a very significant time of year.  In some ways it helps us not be so homesick as there is nothing here that reminds us of Christmas approaching.

We have discovered that the expats may “do” advent; like we will light advent candles and sing carols at the Niamey English Worship Service.  But we have been told that the African Nationals who are Christians don’t even know the word, advent, much less understand how we use this time to help us “wait” and “prepare” for God entering our world as a baby.  We are told the African churches here will “celebrate” God’s gift of Jesus at church but there will be no family celebrations or special foods or gift giving.     

There is much about Christmas as we know it and celebrate it that we do not have, we will not have a Currier and Ives Christmas.  So we wonder, will Christmas still happen?  Will God still enter our world asking us to make room in our hearts and lives for him?  Will we be able to hear him here  - in Africa?  If we don’t have “our” Christmas, what do we have? 

We know we will have donkeys, camels, sand, and sandals, hot sun, covered heads and flowing robes and actually more like it was in Bethlehem.  Maybe, just maybe, this is a good way for us to spend Christmas.  Different for sure, but a little closer to the real thing.

Being here is showing us that God’s coming has absolutely nothing to do with baking cookies, putting up the tree, decorating the house, hanging the stockings, shopping, wrapping, and hoping you have a special gift for each person! 

Being here is giving us a slower less frantic pace of life that, I have to say, we are enjoying.  We are finding this pace is really good for our souls.  We are experiencing Immanuel – God with us.  For that we are truly grateful.  

And we do know wherever you are celebrating advent and Christmas  you will find God’s coming to you too.  He promised.  He will come.  Happy advent.  Merry Christmas.