Christmas Sorta

On the Road to Kamarivka

In Dr. Suess' How The Grinch Stole Christmas, after he had stolen all of the gifts, trees, lights and tinsel, the Grinch was waiting to hear the Whos in Whoville crying as they awoke to a Christmas without any of the usual trimmings. Instead, he heard the Whos singing and celebrating what was still Christmas. When he heard this, the Grinch's heart grew two sizes too big. He was transformed by understanding that Christmas was not about the lights and the presents. It was about something more...

Here in Ukraine, there are few signs of what we in the West have come to associate with Christmas: there are few lights on houses, few Santa Clauses, and few commercials reminding us of how many shopping days we have left. There are also few reminders of the birth of Christ for which the season is celebrated.

Yesterday, Doug Stoddard and I went to Kamarivka, a village where Doug has been working for 8 years with kids in the orphanage, old people in the hospital and with regular people in the village. It is a two hour drive from Kiev and Doug goes each week. Villages here in Ukraine are often breeding grounds for the social ills that plague the society-there are few jobs, cheap vodka, and too much time to do nothing. In many ways, they are like the poorer parts of cities in America.

As we were driving, Doug saw many people who know him and who stopped us to talk.  Doug and the organization he is with, MANNA Worldwide, have helped to bring aid to many there and have been able to put together teams that have helped transform the orphanage from a place where there was little heat, holes in the floors and children wearing raggedy clothes, to one where the kids have warm rooms and decent care. He has also shared the Gospel in a way that people want to see him and not in a way that makes them run away. In a Christ-like way.

As we were leaving the orphanage, Doug had about 5 kids in tow. When we got to the car, Doug said that it's always hard to leave, even when he knows that he'll be back the following week. When he said that, I thought how it's people like Doug who represent the Incarnate God of the Christian faith. He brings love and hope into dark places and finds a way to do it that make people smile when they see him. I'm sure that some of their hearts are already two sizes too big.

Have a wonderful Christmas!