Merry Christmas! Or Felz Navidad as we say here in South America. It’s hard to believe that Christmas is so close. To be honest, it’s always a bit tough for me to get into the Christmas spirit when most days the temperature hovers between 35 and 40 C and I’m surrounded by palm trees. Well…maybe not surrounded exactly. But I can see at least one from where I sit.
Yes, yes…I know…poor me. But seriously, as a Saskatchewan farm boy, it feels like there should be snow and wind and biting cold for me to really feel like Christmas has arrived. Our Christmas decorations for the house are still only half finished because every time I think about it, it feels like its July and I still have lots of time left.
One Christmassy thing we do have here in Bolivia though, are those musical Christmas tree lights. Which everyone loves…and which everyone turns up as loud as they go. As you walk through the plaza or really any store or restaurant in the city, every tree/shelf/window/pillar is singing a different squeaky, nasally rendition of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas!” It makes me want to bang my head against the nearest hard surface until it just all goes away. Roberto was quite annoyed that the lights I bought for the house didn’t come with that particular musical ability. I, on the other hand, paid extra for lights that didn’t have a little sound box attached.
Anyhow, all that as it may be, Christmas is closing in on us here in Bolivia, just as it is in Canada. And being who I am (mixed with the aforementioned sense that it’s summertime and Christmas is still six months away), I didn’t sit down to write this letter until…wow…the 14th of December. Way to be on top of things Ken…
The reason I’m writing is that I wanted to let you all know of a couple things we have planned for Christmas and how you could be involved if you’d like.
First of all, over the past months, we’ve been building a great relationship with one of the children’s homes here in Santa Cruz. It’s the home where Andres and Jose Manuel’s younger sisters live (two of the guys who live here). There are thirty five kids there, ranging in age from about four or five to seventeen.
It’s a great place, but like most homes here, they survive on the bare minimum. There isn’t a lot of money (if any) for extras. I found out the other day that the home isn’t able to do anything special for Christmas. No Christmas supper (which we celebrate here on Dec. 24th) or decorations or anything.
Maribel (who works for us) and I decided that we should do something about that. So tomorrow we’re off to buy Christmas trees and decorations for each of the houses (there are five houses where a mixture of older and younger kids live with an “Aunt” together as a family). As well, the guys and I and Maribel hope to be able to cook a big Christmas supper for the kids on Christmas Eve.
Then on Friday I’ll start what seems to have become a Christmas tradition for me…Christmas shopping the week before Christmas. =) The guys here are in serious need of shoes this year, so I think that’s going to be the main gift they get (if you read this and you know any of the guys….just keep that to yourself!). As well, they’ll probably get a t-shirt and some stocking gifts.
With the extra guys who will be celebrating Christmas with us (guys we know who don’t have family to celebrate with), I’ll be shopping for nearly twenty guys this year. Yea…shoot me now. =) If you think the malls back home are crowded, you should try some of our markets. There are times when you’re literally pressed up against people on all sides and you just kind of go where the crowd goes. =) But in all honestly, it’s pretty fun…mostly.
As you all know (having spent the past few weeks shopping for your own family and friends) all of this takes money. I was kind of laughing with Andres tonight that sometimes I go ahead with ideas because it’s the right thing to do…even when I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to fund those ideas. But helping this children’s home feels like the right thing to do. So…we’re going ahead with that.
As well, Christmas is an important time for us as a family here at the house. It’s an opportunity to show some of the guys we work with, that we care about them and want to encourage them. Every year we have at least one guy who’s never received a personal gift for Christmas. And the laughter and excitement that comes from my guys as well on Christmas morning is a lot of fun too!
So if you’re interested in being a part of our Christmas down here and you’d like to make a donation towards helping us out that would be greatly appreciated! The easiest thing would be to contact my mission, International Teams, directly at 1-800-465-7601. You can also go online (there’s a link to the left of this post that takes you directly there).
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and consider being a part of our Christmas. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting pictures and stories of our Christmas here so check it out if you have time.
Thanks again everyone! Have a wonderful, snow-filled and joyful celebration of Christ’s birth!
As will we…without the being filled with snow part.
Oh…and my parents are here in 13 days!
Feliz Navidad!
Yes, yes…I know…poor me. But seriously, as a Saskatchewan farm boy, it feels like there should be snow and wind and biting cold for me to really feel like Christmas has arrived. Our Christmas decorations for the house are still only half finished because every time I think about it, it feels like its July and I still have lots of time left.
One Christmassy thing we do have here in Bolivia though, are those musical Christmas tree lights. Which everyone loves…and which everyone turns up as loud as they go. As you walk through the plaza or really any store or restaurant in the city, every tree/shelf/window/pillar is singing a different squeaky, nasally rendition of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas!” It makes me want to bang my head against the nearest hard surface until it just all goes away. Roberto was quite annoyed that the lights I bought for the house didn’t come with that particular musical ability. I, on the other hand, paid extra for lights that didn’t have a little sound box attached.
Anyhow, all that as it may be, Christmas is closing in on us here in Bolivia, just as it is in Canada. And being who I am (mixed with the aforementioned sense that it’s summertime and Christmas is still six months away), I didn’t sit down to write this letter until…wow…the 14th of December. Way to be on top of things Ken…
The reason I’m writing is that I wanted to let you all know of a couple things we have planned for Christmas and how you could be involved if you’d like.
First of all, over the past months, we’ve been building a great relationship with one of the children’s homes here in Santa Cruz. It’s the home where Andres and Jose Manuel’s younger sisters live (two of the guys who live here). There are thirty five kids there, ranging in age from about four or five to seventeen.
It’s a great place, but like most homes here, they survive on the bare minimum. There isn’t a lot of money (if any) for extras. I found out the other day that the home isn’t able to do anything special for Christmas. No Christmas supper (which we celebrate here on Dec. 24th) or decorations or anything.
Maribel (who works for us) and I decided that we should do something about that. So tomorrow we’re off to buy Christmas trees and decorations for each of the houses (there are five houses where a mixture of older and younger kids live with an “Aunt” together as a family). As well, the guys and I and Maribel hope to be able to cook a big Christmas supper for the kids on Christmas Eve.
Then on Friday I’ll start what seems to have become a Christmas tradition for me…Christmas shopping the week before Christmas. =) The guys here are in serious need of shoes this year, so I think that’s going to be the main gift they get (if you read this and you know any of the guys….just keep that to yourself!). As well, they’ll probably get a t-shirt and some stocking gifts.
With the extra guys who will be celebrating Christmas with us (guys we know who don’t have family to celebrate with), I’ll be shopping for nearly twenty guys this year. Yea…shoot me now. =) If you think the malls back home are crowded, you should try some of our markets. There are times when you’re literally pressed up against people on all sides and you just kind of go where the crowd goes. =) But in all honestly, it’s pretty fun…mostly.
As you all know (having spent the past few weeks shopping for your own family and friends) all of this takes money. I was kind of laughing with Andres tonight that sometimes I go ahead with ideas because it’s the right thing to do…even when I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to fund those ideas. But helping this children’s home feels like the right thing to do. So…we’re going ahead with that.
As well, Christmas is an important time for us as a family here at the house. It’s an opportunity to show some of the guys we work with, that we care about them and want to encourage them. Every year we have at least one guy who’s never received a personal gift for Christmas. And the laughter and excitement that comes from my guys as well on Christmas morning is a lot of fun too!
So if you’re interested in being a part of our Christmas down here and you’d like to make a donation towards helping us out that would be greatly appreciated! The easiest thing would be to contact my mission, International Teams, directly at 1-800-465-7601. You can also go online (there’s a link to the left of this post that takes you directly there).
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and consider being a part of our Christmas. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting pictures and stories of our Christmas here so check it out if you have time.
Thanks again everyone! Have a wonderful, snow-filled and joyful celebration of Christ’s birth!
As will we…without the being filled with snow part.
Oh…and my parents are here in 13 days!
Feliz Navidad!
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