A Kinuko Christmas

 

L to R, Duane, Kinuko, Marcia and Dr. Bina Sawyer
at a group meal likely after a worship service. Not sure of
the year but in the 1980s

Had anyone visited any of the Baptist mission outposts in the 1980s, they would have found a group of people that were great cooks and great singers as well as great missionaries. The group at Mae Sariang carried out some fantastic mission work and likewise, could put out some good food, but somehow, we failed to get the memo about singing. Sure, some of us could carry a tune to one level or another but others had serious tune carrying limitations. As just missionaries put together as a group, our song singing efforts wandered aimlessly nowhere near the melody until we stopped. We were plainly dismal on our best day.

To make matters worse, we were working among the Karen who are natural-born singers. I have often claimed that while most babies of the world are born crying, Karen babies are singing harmony as they emerge to take their first breath. By the time they are in elementary school, I think the Karen can sing 4 part harmony with a duet. Randomly pick out a few people in a church service at the spur of the moment, put them together and they’d likely be able to serve as the choir harmonizing all the way.

We’d tell ourselves that the Karen did not expect perfection when they asked the missionaries to sing

Peggy Smith (missionary nurse) and Bina Sawyer
singing at Peggy Smith's home Christmas service
December of 1984

and that they knew who we were and so, had limited expectations. We were just being included in the community which was all well and good, but I suspect I wasn’t the only one with feelings of inadequacy when it came time for the missionaries to sing. And, unfortunately, being asked to sing was a frequent occurrence. On Sunday afternoons, once the main worship service at the church was finished, there would be many home services for birthdays and thanksgiving as well as prayer services for health or other problems. Attending any of these services could well lead to a spur of the moment invitation to sing, pray, speak, preach, etc.

Christmas was a church and community wide celebration marked by large, well-attended, talent show style programs that would start in the evening and go well into the night followed by groups caroling to homes all over town, all night long. Missionaries of course, were always included in these talent show style programs even though we were lacking in the talent supply.

Kinuko and some of the kids at Peggy
Smith's home Christmas - 1984

We knew what was coming and what was expected so one Christmas, several of our missionary group were together when we were overcome with doubt about our singing. We decided that this Christmas, we would not sing. We’d do anything else, but no singing and nothing musical. We were determined and emphatic! Unfortunately, Kinuko wasn’t with us at that particular gathering and didn’t get the memo. Before we could tell her not to agree to anything musical, one of the Karen organizers saw Kinuko and asked her to organize the missionaries to sing on the program. And Kinuko, being more musical and generally more agreeable than the rest of us, happily agreed.

We were on the program! What to do? Could we do something other than sing? Days of stewing about what on earth we could do without embarrassing ourselves were spent until finally, the day of the Christmas program drew near. In desperation, we decided we would play a cassette tape of Andy Williams’ song “Happy Holidays”. At the point in the song where it mentions Santa coming down the chimney, I (Duane), in full Santa Claus regalia, was to pop out of a cardboard fireplace we would make and throw candy out to the crowd. We self righteously blamed Kinuko for getting us into the situation so as I recall, we made her make the cardboard chimney. She did a good job except the opening of the fireplace was a little small and in rehearsal, I had a hard time squeezing through.

Finally, on the night of the Christmas program, we queued up Andy Williams and as he crescendoed and

Nativity scene at end of Christmas skit - 1984

sang Santa was coming down the chimney I burst through our cardboard fireplace. Literally, I “burst” halfway through the undersized fireplace opening carrying the cardboard display around my waist until I could get myself untangled from it. My burnt orange flannel cloth shirt was the closest to a red suit that we had and it was stuffed with something to give me a belly. Neither Marcia nor I recall what was used as a fake beard but I’m sure it was totally unconvincing. Hopefully the children weren’t overly traumatized by the sight but it seemed we were making a sacrilege of the meaning of Christmas and even demeaning Santa Clause all at the same time. Fortunately, the grand finale was throwing candy out to the crowd. Marcia, Kinuko and what ever other missionary that hadn’t chickened out helped throw the candy and we seemed to be forgiven, at least by the kids.

We blamed Kinuko for getting us on the Christmas program but truthfully, whoever had been asked would have agreed. What else could we do? Actually, we’re grateful to Kinuko. Prior to coming out of the cardboard chimney to the crooning of Andy Williams we couldn’t imagine anything worse than singing as a missionary group. Now, we knew without a doubt, we could embarrass ourselves even more.