Christmas?

So weird. I checked facebook a bit ago, and someone had a photo of Christmas cookies they were making to bring to a holiday party. I completely forgot it's the Christmas season. Come to think of it, there have been a few signs of the season: for example, when we were driving away from the immigration medical clinic this morning, our driver had the radio on. The song by WHAM (George Michael) "Last Christmas I gave you my heart, the very next day you gave it away..." We were laughing and wondering out loud how that became an international holiday hit, and our driver heard us and turned the radio up loud, thinking we were glad to have such a fantastic song to celebrate with!
Other than moments like that, I forget it's Christmastime. I mean, every day we say to at least a couple people, "we're really hoping to be home for Christmas as a whole family". But without the lights on people's houses, the Christmas music on my kitchen radio, the Toys for Tots collections at stores and on KARE 11 news, it doesn't feel like Christmas. I love Christmastime and all the trimmings! But then that gets me thinking: what is the Christmas season anyway?
Tonight we had dinner with a missionary couple from this country. They both asked Jesus into their hearts when they were in university. Shortly thereafter, they sensed God calling them into full-time ministry, and they now serve with the same mission organization that we do. We have so many similarities in life passion, ministry focus, etc, that it felt like "home" to go out for pizza with them. They were explaining how difficult it is to be a missionary in this country and raise support amongst poverty. They currently are trying to raise their two small children on $250 a month, and it's really tough.
As we walked back to our guest house after dinner, and our new friends were about to say good bye and catch a motor scooter taxi ("boda boda") to take them home, they were saying that where we are staying is the nicest part of town, and that is why we only lose electricity 4-5 times a week. they said in their part of town electricity can be off for a week at a time. But then they said with a smile, "But that's ok. We don't need electricity. God has given us what we need."
And it's moments like those that I'm glad I'm here for the Christmas season.