Christmas is within days, and while the hustle and bustle is not quite the norm this year due to COVID-19, many of us are preparing with hopes of a bright, healthy New Year. During a recent trip to the grocery store I could hear the joyful holiday music playing. One holiday song in particular houses lyrics that I hold dear to my heart. The lyrics to this song bring back the memories of my first mission journey to Africa, which took place during the holiday season. Sung by the group Band Aid, “Do they know it’s Christmas?” was performed in 1984 as a fundraiser to support relief for the 1983-1985 Ethiopian famine.

With the holiday season upon us, being a missionary celebrating the holidays away from family and loved ones can be difficult. Missing familiar foods, aromas, and cultural traditions can leave you questioning God’s will for your mission calling. Although poverty certainly exists in many places around the world, not all missionaries leave their homeland to serve the poor. During this Thanksgiving Season, let us remember our roots in the United States, in particular where there is suffering within our Native American communities.

 Let me start with the obvious: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world and rewritten what we consider “normal.” Every part of our lives has been impacted to some degree: how we live together and interact with each other on a daily basis; how we work and communicate; how we shop; even how we eat, drink, and enjoy our leisure time. During these times, I felt as if I was starring in the film Groundhog Day, reliving the same day over and over again.