Christmas Guatemala Style

It is nearly a week after Christmas and I have not had the opportunity to write anything about what went on Christmas eve or Christmas day. Fortunately I have a few friends who do not complain (at least not in front of me) when I steal something from their journals. At least I had the courtesy not to steel everything that they wrote. If you would like to read Pat or Daryl's complete journals just click on their names.

Dick

Pat wrote,

When church was over, we made a quick stop at my house to pick up tamales, ponche (a Christmas punch loaded with pieces of fruit), and cookies and headed up to Dick’s house in Chimaltenango to meet a bunch of his kids who had had to work late.

With Esbin’s help, Dick played Santa. (Maybe now that Christmas is over, he’ll cut his hair and trim his beard?)






( Pat already had a hard enough time recognizing me. This was the first time that she ever saw me in something besides blue jeans. I couldn't believe that those old bell bottoms that I kept from my high school days still fit me.)

Dick

Dave Black, a friend from Canada, joined us for the evening (though I think he came mostly hoping to get some chocolate peanut clusters!)

About ten o’clock, Dick brought Dave and me back to Antigua where I joined the Hernandez family for their traditional dinner of tamales at midnight. (And to think that I used to groan about having to attend an eleven o’clock Christmas Eve service at home. Of course, no snow makes traveling much easier here!)

Pat

Now on to what Daryl wrote about Christmas day.

At around 9:30 am, Dick Rutgers, Pat Duff and Dave Black showed up with four of the kids from Hermano Pedro. Dick had checked out Louis Andres, Julio, Carlitos and Leonel to spend the day with us. This was, by far, the high point of our Christmas! To see these kids celebrate Christmas in a real home and receive presents along with a home cooked meal made our entire move to Guatemala worthwhile. Several times I found myself overwhelmed with emotion as I looked around our home and saw the smiles on the kids faces.

We opened presents and enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by Wanda. Somehow we were able to move the furniture in our living room and put two large tables together and fit everyone around them. Everyone enjoyed the food. Brittney was even able to get Leonel, who will not eat and is on a feeding tube, to eat six good bites of cheddar mashed potatoes.

The afternoon was spent playing and, all too soon, it was time to take the kids back to HP. Once again, I was overcome with emotions. This time it was because I looked around and realized how many more children there were who spent the day in the wards. I have a dream of seeing more and more families who live here and work in HP open their homes to the children and adults who reside there for Christmas each year. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if some day every ward was empty and the nurses could take the day off?

Daryl

"Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies."

Hebrews 13:1-3

Thank you Pat and Daryl you made this week's journaling rather easy for me. Now if only I convince the 2 of you to use Mac. computers so that you could do the fancy pictures for me.

Goodnight,
Yours in Christ: Dick