Matt and Becki Dillingham

Christmas in Madagascar - The Work Do

In the UK our experience of a work Christmas celebration was that one evening in the weeks leading up to Christmas you would go out for a meal somewhere with your colleagues. Maybe then moving onto a pub or going out for a round of 10 pin bowling, Here things are a little different!

For a start, the work do started at 8.30am, yes AM! We all gathered on the 23rd at Tana Beach (which is a venue with a pool by a lake but in no way resembles a beach). The day started with singing worship songs in Malagasy, some unfamiliar, some with well known tunes such as 'Joy to the World'

Tana Beach

The worship was followed by a fantastic sermon by one of our pilots Patrick about the importance of not only knowing that Jesus existed but about the importance of also trusting and obeying, for without trusting and obeying the knowledge is worthless.

In Madagascar, staff are awarded medals and certificates for 10 and 15 years of service so after the sermon and some more worship the 'decoration of staff' was performed. Although our program manager took it a bit too literally to start with and decorated them all with bunting! On a serious note it is impressive how many of the national staff have already served for MAF for 10+ years.

'Decorating' the staff with bunting

Actually giving out the awards

Before lunch there was just enough time to make the most of the venue and have a quick swim (mostly the children swam while the adults socialised). This year all the staff families were invited and this free time gave us chance to meet the spouses and children of our colleagues.

Around 12.30 lunch started to be served, the venue was a little over whelmed by so many people meaning that despite it being a set menu, the last desserts were not served until around 4pm! During the lunch we were invited to come up and speak about Christmas from our own country, so over the next few ours we enjoyed presentations about Canada, Switzerland, Holland, Madagascar and England as well as recitals and singing from the children who were brave enough to come to the front. We enjoyed this opportunity to learn more about the places MAF Madagascar staff come from. For part of our presentation we brought along some oranges, candles, ribbon etc and made Christingles - it made it feel like Christmas to see the room lit with candles.

Performances from the children

A few extras were added to the Christingles

Enjoying the performances

Some of the staff giving a presentation about the regions of Madagascar

After lunch had finished, gifts were given to all the staff and their families. There were some very excited children in the room as they unwrapped their presents! Then the day was closed by a final blessing and a quick swim before the rain came down!

Everyone who came

All the staff

The staff who had earned medals