Christmas Poem

Hi again – I just have to share this poem with everyone!  My Aunt Lynn wrote it and posted it in the comment section of my blog – but it’s so amazingly thoughtful and creative that it deserves it’s own blog entry.  I love you Lynn!

Christmas Poem, by Lynn Bergstrom

T’was the night before Christmas
And, Laura, my niece
Was living in Africa
Bringing the peace.

Over mountains and oceans
She traveled so far
To Kampala, then Arua
Without even a car.

She left her belongings
And her family behind
In search of a treasure
She was sure she would find.

And when she arrived
In the country so new
She was a little bit nervous
But knew what to do.

She held her head high
And went on with her plan
To learn all she could
About this new land.

The food and the language
And the culture was different
But the people were friendly
As on her journey she went.

She learned Lugbara
The language they speak
And lived under a roof
That sometimes did leak.

She boiled lots of water
So that she could eat
Lots of fresh fruits and veggies
But not any meat.

She bathed with a bucket
For clean, hot water she grieved
But she had a toilet inside
For which her aunt was relieved. :)

There were spiders and snakes
She slept under a net
And the goats on the front porch
She will never forget.

The monkeys on the roof
Kept her up through the night
And her bout with Giardia
Gave her a fright.

But she never lost faith
In her reason for going
And her desire to help others
Kept growing and growing.

She taught them about AIDS
And computers and more
And helped the school organize
The data they stored.

Her skills were so needed
By everyone there
That they gave her great projects
And showed her they cared.

Her knowledge was vast
And her smile was bright
And the people she met
Thought she was a delight.

She knew she was achieving
Her goals and her dream
And her fellow peace makers
Were her family and team.

And back at home
Her family was there
Watching in amazement
With love and with care.

Laura is a woman
We would all say
Who is strong and inspiring
In so many ways.

She went far away
To help others in need
She gave them her gifts
And their souls she did feed.

So as Christmas day came
And she was not in sight
We said Merry Christmas to Laura
May YOU be blessed tonight!