Christmas Rwanda-Style

What was your Christmas Day like?  Did it go as it usually does?  We thought we’d share with you what our Christmas Day was like here in Rwanda, since it would be quite different from what we would have experienced if we’d been in Canada.

Andre & his wife Therese

Since this was our first Christmas as “empty nesters”, it was also our first Christmas that did not begin with stockings.  So that was different.  But in Rwanda, stockings and gift-giving are not part of the tradition.  The focus of Christmas, instead, is going to church.  This year we were invited to join our colleague Andre Sibomana at his church for the Christmas Day service.  

 It was a wonderful service which was rich and varied – and rather long (for Canadians)!  It began at 9:00 with lively worship, celebrating the birth of our Saviour.  This included lots of dancing, “Hallelujah...Amens” and hands lifted in praise.

The children were then given an opportunity to participate in a re-enactment of the nativity story followed by a song.

But the children weren’t the only ones to sing.  There were also several songs done by a couple of different choirs.  

This Christmas morning was extra special for one young woman who was baptized.  However, unlike Canada where everyone would remain in their seats for the baptism, all the congregation gathered around the baptismal tank to watch and celebrate.  

At about 11:00 I (Darrell) got up to preach.  With Andre helping with the translating, it lasted one hour.  But the service was still not over.  

Following the sermon, there was a time of dedication for all the deacons and deaconesses that help to lead the church.  

Then there was special recognition given to some church members for outstanding service and ministry over the past year.  For example, there was one woman who took in a baby that had been abandoned in the street.  

After some final singing and announcements, the service came to an end at 1:30.  But no one was planning on leaving just yet.  After a quick reset of the church, everyone sat down to a Christmas meal all together.  In an unusual approach, the meal had been prepared by four men from the church – and it was well done!  We enjoyed rice, roasted potatoes, peas & carrots, a little bit of beef, and some ugali (a soft, sticky bread-like food made from cassava which is common in Rwanda).  

Once some closing speeches and pictures were done, we arrived home at 3:15, happy but rather tired out.  Of course, by that time, the time difference between us and Bronwyn & Caleb in New Brunswick was more than used up.  That meant we could Skype (text and video) with them as we proceeded to open our gifts at a leisurely pace, listen to music, enjoy some treats, and relax.  Thankfully we were also able to connect with other family members throughout the rest of the day.  Knowing that so much of Christmas Day would be spent at church, we waited a couple of days before we had a delicious traditional Christmas dinner with Ken & Wendy Derksen.  

So, like every Christmas we’ve experienced overseas, in 2017 we tried to enjoy a Christmas that blended together some wonderful elements of both our Canadian and our host cultures.