¡Feliz Navidad!

Christmas Eve dinner with our special guest!

     Merry Christmas!!!!  As you all read before the weeks leading up to Christmas were a whirlwind of activity and the craziness didn't stop there!  Christmas Eve was the final day of Villa Feliz.  After we sent the kids home to their families with their gifts and a full belly, Manny and I went home to change for Christmas dinner.  The sisters have a tradition of inviting a family over for Christmas dinner.  This year they invited a man whose wife died a few years ago and has no family to spend the holiday with.  As Manny and I walked into the chapel for evening prayer, I couldn't help but notice that the man's eyes were a little red and that he had a smile on his face.  After prayer we started serving dinner and he was able to open his Christmas presents.  He had a large smile on his face as he ripped the wrapping paper and saw inside was 2 new dress shirts to wear.  Dinner was wonderful for everyone, and I felt extreme happiness in my heart as we talked because all of us were away from our families, and at a time of the year when it is easy to become lonely, we came together and formed a new family filled with manny blessings.
     After dinner we went to Mass and were able to celebrate the birth of Christ with all of our new friends and family here in Okinawa.  After Mass Manny and I went to work preparing our gifts for communities and cinnamon rolls for breakfast the next morning, another tradition between the missioners and the religious community we live with.  I headed over to our house from the school slightly after midnight to bake the rolls and was surrounded by fireworks coming from every side of the school.  It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL to see how another culture celebrate the birth of our Lord.  We ended our night walking around Okinawa enjoying seeing the celebrations surrounding us.

The truck all loaded with presents!

     The morning of Christmas I sprang out of bed nice and early, around 4:45 and rushed to get ready.  I was so excited for Christmas!  Why was I so excited?  Because Manny and I filled the truck with the gifts we bought and were headed to the communities we visit playing music from the loudspeaker on top of the truck.  When we got to the communities, most people were still sleeping, however all it took was one child to see us and the whole community quickly came to see what the fuss was about.  In these communities the houses are made of dirt, the roofs made of straw, and have one room for a whole family to sleep in.  For most of these kids, the gift we gave them that morning was the only gift they would get that year.  They were so excited and it was amazing to see the smiles on their faces as they were handed a new ball, or a barbie, or a toy car.

 





   

     After we were finished with the communities we rushed to the Hogar (orphanage) in Montero where we have 2 other SLMs.  There are roughly 130 girls at the Hogar.  I played with the girls while we were waiting for Santa (Manny) to arrive.  As soon as Santa came through the door he was surrounded by little girls with HUGE smiles on their faces.  We helped Santa give out Christmas gifts to each girl, watched some of the older girls put on a Nativity play, and heard a choir sing Christmas carols.  Words cannot express how happy I was to be spending some of my Christmas morning with those girls.
     When we left the Hogar, we went with 2 other SLMs and volunteers from their parish to a community not too far outside of Montero.  There we played games, had live music, and talked about the birth of Christ.  At the end of the event, the children received food and a Christmas gift to take home.
     I Skyped my family Christmas night and when my mom asked how Christmas was, I told her it was one of the best of my life.  In the days leading up to Christmas I did miss my family, but I told her if I couldn't be with them for Christmas, then this is how I wanted to spend my day.  What made this day so special is that it wasn't about me at all.  I didn't open up any gifts on Christmas morning, but instead I  helped make this Christmas special for countless children here in Bolivia.  I also spent a lot of time reflecting on the work we did here for Christmas, and I can't get the memory of Christmas dinner out of my head.  How wonderful would it be if every family opened their door on Christmas for someone who was lonely to have someone to spend Christmas with?  You never know how you'll touch someone.