The Secret About Santa

🎅 We had a very merry Christmas in Samoa!  We kept busy Christmas Eve by baking a "zillion" cookies to make up plates to deliver to all of our neighbors and the other missionary couples.  We also hosted a Christmas Eve party at our house complete with Janice's Swedish Meatballs and some hot wassail.  We watched the George C Scott version of A Christmas Carol and visited!  It kept us busy until we could be sure that Santa was going to come before going to bed late.

Christmas morning found us with an abundance of presents under our tree and full Christmas stockings.  After cleaning up we got ready to meet the other senior couples at one of the beach resorts downtown for breakfast.  It was sunny and warm next to the beautiful blue-green surf and palm trees.  As we were eating, who should appear but Santa!  This is when we discovered his secret.  He is Samoan!  This makes perfect sense because we are the first nation in the world to experience Christmas.  He starts here and works his way around the entire earth in the following 24 hours and ends up in American Samoa just a few miles to the east of us (they are on the opposite side of the

international date line).  So he starts in Samoa and ends in Samoa.  We would not be surprised to find out that the North Pole is actually around here somewhere.  That would make a lot of sense since it is so comfortable and if I had a choice, I would live here instead of north of the frozen arctic circle.  You can see by his picture that he starts out fairly young but I am sure by the time he finishes each year, he gets old and gray.  By staying in Samoa the entire year, he rejuvenates to his young self again just in time for his next Christmas trip.

All kidding aside, we are grateful for the Christmas season that encourages all people everywhere to be a little kinder, to act more generous, and to remember the gift that God has given us in his Son, Jesus Christ.  He is our great hope and the exemplar of how to obtain a happy life.  May God abundantly bless all of you with his love.  We love you and miss you!