If theres any one time we find ourselves endeared to tradition, I think it must be Christmas. It's already Christmas eve here in Bangladesh. Today as I was making klubbe, a Norwegian dish that traditionally our family has eaten every Christmas eve since I was old enough to have a memory! It's a dish you either love or hate---kind of like liver.no middle ground. It looks awful, but to those of us who love it, just the name alone connotes Christmas eve. Bangladesh has its Christmas traditions. Caroling is huge here and Christmas (no matter what day it falls on) is spent in the church with the church family. We love that! And at the Home of Hope, we continue this tradition: a church service followed by games, snacks, and a special curry meal. Thanks to our sponsors, the Christmas stocking has become a new tradition! As I mused over the importance of traditions, I was reminded of how important traditions are. They connect us with our past and we pass them on to our children and grandchildren in hopes that part of us will live on in their hearts. In the Old Testament, God's people used stones to remember God's blessings and to pass on those important stories to their children. In the New Testament, Jesus encouraged us to share communion and do it in remembrance of Him. God wanted HIM to live on in our hearts and the hearts of our children and our children's children. Tradition says to be home for Christmas. Thank you for making it possible for 114 children to have a place to call home. Merry Christmas!!
-Sharon Smith