Partners Blogcast: "Christmas in Burma"

Steve and Oddny Gumaer started Partners Relief & Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma. This blog is meant to be a more personal stream of conversation than newsletters allow for. The opinions expressed here may not be those of Partners Relief & Development.

Christmas in Burma

By Oddny Gumaer - "The evening sky was like black velvet sprinkled with gold sparkles. I pulled my hat down over my ears and was thankful for my wool sweater. Holding a cup of hot tea kept my hands warm.

I was deep in Burma's jungle, and it was December 1. All around me, Karen people were welcoming the Christmas month together. The Karen call this night "Sweet December."

We were in a field, and a fire was burning. People who had walked from the villages close by to attend the big event stood close to the flames, enjoying the warmth. Many of them were barefoot; most of them were poorly dressed. Several children around me wore only a ripped t-shirt. I shivered in the cold.

All night they sang Christmas songs. Songs reminding them of the birth of Jesus and the freedom he came to give.

A couple of miles away were the Burma Army soldiers. It did not seem to matter on this starlit evening. Or maybe it did. I couldn't tell.

Later all the guests got a present-a bar of soap and sweets for the children. In spite of the cold weather there was warmth in the air. Their celebration was a simple act of gratitude, love and joy.

A country at war. Children with hungry stomachs. Weather that was almost freezing, but no shoes. Diseases that spread faster and got worse because of the cold, but no doctors or medicines. And still, they chose to sing!

The freedom, the warmth, the safety, the wrapped presents and the yummy food that we take for granted, is but a dream for them. But the ability to enjoy small pleasures-a warm fire, songs that have been sung for generations, or even a bar of soap-is something they can teach us a lot about.

I was touched and thankful to be able to celebrate together with a people who have suffered for so many generations. As we celebrate Christmas, remember the 1.5 million people who are hiding in the jungles of Burma-on the run from an enemy who wants them gone- right now. Remember them in your thoughts, prayers, and gatherings.

At Partners, we want to wish you a blessed Christmas, a time filled with joy and love. May some of the simplicity of the celebration among Karen Christians in Burma remind us of the true reason for the season.