Christmas in the Philippines - Caleb Barton

I was wondering what the Philippines would be like in December during Christmas, this is my first experience celebrating the birth of our Christ out side of the States. Honestly, in late November I forgot December and Christmas was drawing near. With absolutely no season change I was surprised when I heard Christmas music blaring from the few houses with a CD player. As the days went on people started putting up Christmas decorations on the front of their houses. Just as a note, in the town I live in there is about five actual houses, similar to a house in the states.

These are the homes that can afford Christmas decoration and music, very few people with huts have decorations. I get the feeling that if the people in the town could afford it, they would cover Luxoone with festive Christmas and New Year decorations! The surrounding towns have a Christmas tree competition every year. Some people in the town get together and build a Christmas tree out of whatever they have and can think of. This is very cool, I walked by while the men were working together on this project and they were having a blast, laughing and smiling, all which is a rare site. The kids started caroling two days ago, the 19th. They absolutely love this!

Any time I walk through town I get mobbed by kids yelling "koa Caleb, caroling, caroling, caroling." I reply, "ok, ok, Gabi" or evening in Tagalog. The carolers get candy and/or pesos for singing, so they are very excited about coming to the Americans home. Two days ago they came caroling and I was in the Christmas spirit, so I gave and gave and gave everything I had! What I didn't realize is that they carol every evening till Christmas. The word got out all the way to the next town, were the church is located, that I was giving aways much money and candy. Hahaha, live and learn, thank the Lord for all that He provides!

The most beautiful part of Christmas here is that people sing and speak the name of Jesus freely, without any sensor ship. Don't be mistaken, not everyone believes in Jesus and sings about Him, but they are not fanatical about others singing of the Saviour of the world. Here, unlike the US, people have a healthy fear of God and very few chose to blaspheme the creator of the heavens and the earth. In Romans Paul speaks of God's creation testifying to who He is and even those who have not heard the Gospel of Jesus will be judged according to this.

The people here are not blinded to the fact that everything they see was created by an all powerful God. Christmas in the US is a war zone! I'm not talking about the shopping, the traffic, or the family gatherings, "for we do not war against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers and rulers of the darkness of this world and against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." It is our privilege to fight this war on our knees and be a light in the dark would. I looked at many good studies that said suicide rates actually go down during the winter season and peak in Spring. As my mind immediately went to the pain that all the orphans, widows, homeless, and lose that have lost and are away from loved ones feel I thought, "How Lord does suicide go down during this time and peak in the Spring?" The Lord began to show me that in this time, His love, through us, reaches to all the people in need.

During Christmas we feel the need to show the love of Christ and reach out of our comfort zone more than any other time of year. Thank God for this, I truly believe that this is the reason that suicide goes down during this time. On the other hand, as we all go back to our normal routines and lives after the holidays suicide goes up and peaks. I'll leave the interpretation of that to you. However, I wonder that if we reached out with Christs hand in Spring, as we do during winter, would we see the continue decrees in suicide? Well, back to the original idea, Christmas in the Philippians, Christ's birth is celebrated here as it is all over the world!!! So, lets celebrate the humble and glorious birth of our saviour and remember the great love He showed to us, that while we were still His enemy's He came to the earth and died for us all.

Youth is not a time of life; it is not a
matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees;
it is a matter of the will, quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions;
it is the freshness of the deep Spring of life.

Samuel Ullman

Lets stay young in the Lord, showing the same vigor for those in need all year around as we do during the Holidays!