It’s the Saturday before Christmas and I know that you don’t
have time to be sitting reading this blog so I will keep this one very short
and sweet so that you can go back to your baking, wrapping and last minute preparations.
Christmas can be a very difficult time of year for many
people. My cousin Kim and her three teenagers (Jeremy, Matthew and Joanna) are
with us here in Swaziland celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ, but they are missing Paul, husband to Kim and father to the kids. Paul was diagnosed with a rapidly
growing brain tumor in June of this year and passed away only 52 short days
later. This Christmas will be
filled with grief and pain for the Bannon family, but it is through this pain
that we are invited to draw closer to the baby Jesus, who then turned in to a
man who died and rose again for each of us.
The Bannon family is not the only family who is hurting this
Christmas. Many people around the
world are hungry, scared, grieving and in pain. I encourage you to take a moment after you read this to stop
and give thanks for all that you have been given by your heavenly Father. Look around you and find the joy that
He brings, even through sorrow and sadness. Ask Him for His perfect peace that passes all understanding.
This Christmas I miss my dad who went to heaven in
2005. I miss my mom who is in a
nursing home in Canada. But this
is a new season in our lives and there is much to be thankful for, so I choose
to focus on that.
Today we celebrated the true reason for the season with all
of the people who work at Project Canaan.
We slaughtered two goats, harvested many vegetables to cook and packed
special gift bags filled with sugar, salt, beans, rice and a blanket for each
worker. We are even sending each person home with a live chicken to share with
their families for Christmas! All
of the children from these families will receive a new pair of TOMS Shoes and
will go home with a fully tummy.
Today is a great day at Project Canaan and just the thought of my new
family brings me to tears. I am so
very thankful for all that the Lord has shown me this year and all the
stretching and growing that has been required, even through the pain that
growth brings. 
Thank you for reading this blog and for your support and
encouragement to me and to my family.
I pray that you and your family, whomever that might be, will have a
blessed Christmas and that you remember that JESUS is the reason for the
season.
Merry Christmas to you all.
Live from Swaziland … it’s almost Christmas!
PS - you can still make a year end contribution to Heart for Africa and make a big difference in the life of the people of Swaziland. www.heartforafrica.org or www.heartforafrica.ca
Thank you for sharing your Christmas with us. It has been a blessing to stay connected to all that God is doing through Project Canaan. We are praying for you and the Bannon family, and all those whose hearts are grieving a loss this holiday season.
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