Tennessee Christmas

Come on weather man give us a forecast snowy white

Can't you hear the prayers of every childlike heart tonight

Rockies are callin', Denver snow fallin'

Somebody said it's four feet deep, 

but it doesn't matter 

Give me the laughter,

 I'm gonna choose to keep

Another tentder Tennessee Christmas,

the only Christmas for me 

Where the love circles around us like the gifts around our tree

Well I know there's more snow up in Colorado 

than my roof will ever see

But a tender Tennessee Christmas is the only Christmas for me

-Lyric by Amy Grant and Gary Chapman-

The above lyrics, of one of my fave Christmas songs, has been sung for years without me knowing how the situation really is in Tennessee until today, on 2018 Christmas day. The night before Christmas, called Christmas eve, I was in the trip back from California and found almost all stores closed earlier. I even hardly found a grocery store to buy food for supper. 

Couple of weeks before, at the earliest week of December, Christmas Parade held in the downtown of Savannah, the small city where I have been living for 5 months. Decorated cars and beautiful people marching and passing the centre of the town giving the multitude certain gifts, showing us how Christmas life in the country really is.

Picture of the students and staff at the HHA Year End Concert 2018

I have never thought that I would be here, living in a calm and friendly campus that takes a full day flight from my home country, Indonesia. Prior to my coming, my lovely daughter came. Two years later, the whole family spent Christmas in this famous country-living style, what a real Tennessee Christmas.

If I looked back, this "dream comes true" seems to be prepared years before. My dad, with all skill he had taught me, music and English, has lead me to have a dream, that one day I will visit an English speaking country to study and improve my hobby, especially in music and writing. It looked like the dream almost come true ten years ago, when I was being selected to win a scholarship to study abroad. I passed all the requirements, but never been awarded. For a decade I had been trying to encourage myself, that my time has not come yet. 

My husband and I visited
Universal Studio, CA in 2015

Three years ago, my husband and I had a privilege to visit US for a very short time, to experiencing the US independence day. We used this time to visiting some families and friends in several states. I was thinking that my time has over (I had a dream to study in the US since my father had really recommended his children to studying in an English speaking country) so we were discussing to send our lovely daughter to study in a chosen school. A year later my daughter came. And, see, what happened next, I was called to do a music ministry in this beautiful and lovely campus. At the same time, I have the opportunity to improve my hobby in writing, composing, traveling, cooking, teaching and performing music. What a privilege to carry. I am so grateful. Moreover, I am surrounded by adorable students, fabulous neighbors and generous friends. I love the housing, the garden and the circumstances. The local people are so kind that where ever I go, I was offered smiles and 'hello'. My live is fulfilled with love.

However living in the US is not that easy as we see in pictures. Sometimes someone has to carry a heavy load of work or even has to stay apart from the loved ones. However, when we do things with all our heart, we would find joy and happiness, the things we truly search in life. 

HHA Christmas Party at December 15, 2018

Our home here, is only a temporary one. Another home where no night, no sorrow, no sadness, no pain, God has been prepared for each and every one who love Him, which is heaven. It seems like "a dream". But one day, it will become real when we see Jesus coming in His glory, He would take us home, a real home, as is written "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."

Merry Christmas, families and friends around the globe. May the joy of Christmas be yours. 

Savannah 2018