Christmas is an important time in Canada, like it is in many countries. When our children were little, we started a family tradition: We put up Christmas lights outside the house, then, together we set up the Christmas tree. The highlight was the turkey dinner and opening presents. Even though our daughters are adults now, I still made it a fun time with riddles they needed to solve in order to find their own presents. (Right, it was more of a fun time for me. :P )
My wife, Juliana, and I moved to Japan last year, but our girls remained in Vancouver. Everything felt strange at Christmas. There were no Christmas lights in our neighborhood in Sapporo. Rarely did we see Christmas trees in town, except the Santa Claus-dressed Colonel Sanders! Churches put up Christmas decorations in December, but as soon as the 25th arrived, church members took down the decorations to prepare for the new year.
Oh, how we missed the Christmas traditions with the kids back in Canada! Traditions can help people feel like they belong to a group or society, whether they are new to a place or have always lived there. Thankfully, we have a fellowship of new missionaries here at the OMF language and culture school. Though our own kids are not with us, we are uncle and auntie to the MKs (missionary kids) of our peers here. We created a new tradition: Hosting a Christmas party for the families with MKs at our place as one big family of God.
We’ve become friends with a family with young kids at our neighborhood English Club. We had lots of fun last Christmas—we put up the Christmas tree and set up the lights together, then my wife told them about the birth of Jesus using a Japanese storybook. This year, we did the Christmas tree tradition with them again. After that, we shared the salvation story and gave them a gospel invitation. Yay, they accepted Jesus! Please pray with us for them.
Though Christians are a tiny minority here in Japan, may we be Christ’s bright light in this land.
By William (and Juliana), OMF missionaries
