Glory to God in the Highest!!!

So, Christmas was amazing! We already know it's my absolute most favoritist time of the year, and this year it was no exception. It was certainly different, and there were times that I actually missed the cultural aspects of the Christmas season that are found in the US and not here in Mexico. It just didn't feel like Christmas all around me, so sometimes it was hard to believe or easy to forget that it was actually Christmas time! But when it arrived, it arrived with force and power and was unforgettable...for me at least.

So, the month of December was incredibly hectic as far as the preparations are concerned for our Christmas service. Christmas Day this year was on a Monday, but the more important day in Mexico is actually Christmas Eve. Since that day was on a Sunday, we planned a joint service to take place at 4 pm instead of in the morning. Pastor Goyo wanted to have our service as close to Christmas Day as we could, and I just thought that was such a great idea.

Worship started off our Christmas Eve service

In our Christmas service, usually every demographic participates in one way or another. The youth put on a humorous sketch recounting the birth of Christ. We chose one we found online for free called Myrtle, Frank, and a Few Wise Guys, which I had the priveledge of translating. Let me tell you, there are few things harder to translate than humor! Primarily because it's very idiomatic and culturally based. In this sketch, the humor came mainly from play-on-words. It took some thought, but it turned out pretty funny in Spanish too, and the kids had a good time doing it. I not only tranlsated it, but I also got to help direct it and take care of most of the behind-the-scenes details like collecting props, helping to sew the costumes (first time using a sewing machine!), etc. It was busy, but it was fun and the sketch turned out really well. The kids did such a stellar job and had fun doing it, and the audience really enjoyed it too and got a kick out of it. Some of the lines from the play still live on, actually, and that's kind of cool...it's neat when you see that the investment you make is not in vain and that the results are not quickly forgotten..this result being a retelling of Christ's birth!

The youth sketch dress rehearsal. By the end of the play they were in position of a living nativity. It was pretty cool.

Sandy playing with some of our costumes and props.

Lorenzo, Martin in the sheep mask, and Beto having fun at dress rehearsal

All our props put together...we made do :)

The youth in their living nativity at the end of the sketch during our Christmas service, surrounded by all the young children watching.

The kids also did something for the service. They all participated in singing Away in a Manger, which I accompanied on the keyboard. Ok, now THAT was nerve-racking! I grew up playing piano, but I started fading out of that as soon as I hit college and didn't have a piano to play anymore. So, it's been almost 10 years since I played the piano regularly. Not only that, but the last time I played in public was when I was 10 and played at my first and last recital! So, this was definitely a stretch for me. But I got through the piece without messing up, which was my biggest concern, and the kids did such a stellar job! It was so cute! In addition to singing, several of them recited scripture or a poem, and a few of them even presented a little mini-drama/dialogue. They did such a great job!

The kids preparing to sing their song (I'm in the back left corner), and Jonathan in costume for his recitation and the mini-drama.

Some of the women actually shared a song with us, and I do believe there were a couple of testimonies, although I am not sure on that count since I was outside the church helping the youth and kids deal with costumes, etc. And finally, Pastor Goyo preached a stellar sermon about the wise men that came to visit Christ and the gifts they brought. The youth sketch ended with this line: "God gave us the gift of His Son. The wise men brought gifts to Jesus. What will you give to Him? Goyos's sermon presented a similar challenge as he took a closer look at the gifts they presented and what that means for us in our relationships with Christ. It was really cool. The service ended with a time of prayer. It was amazing because we had all three towns together: Cofradia, Santa Fe, and Arrayanes. And they were all praying together and for each other surrounded by the Christmas lights and with the worship band playing softly in the background as we were celebrating Christ's birth and it's signficance for us today. It was a powerful thing to be part of!

The prayer time at the end of the Christmas Eve service.

When the service was over, it was so great to be able to fellowship with everyone all together. Their smiles were so huge, and they were all intermixing and enjoying each other's company. That doesn't get to happen very often since Arrayanes usually has their own services. But the unity was flowing that night, and it was indescribable!

Fellowshipping and smiles accompanied all as they went on their ways for the rest of their Christmas Eve celebrations!
(Amalia holding Esperanza, Jan, and Amalia's husband Salo)

After the service, the custom around here for Christmas Eve is to go around visiting people and sharing meals with folks. The towns also have what's called a "posada", which is kind of like a town party where they have music and dancing and pinatas for the kids and lots of hanging out, etc. Well, Mili and Sandy's family invited me to hang out with them on Christmas Eve after the service, especially since it was their little sister's 12th birthday. So, I drove the Arrayanes folks back to their town and hung out there until around 10 pm. It was fun! We went to the posada for a little bit, but mainly we just hung out with the family all together and enjoyed each other and the festiveness of the night!

Christmas Day dawned beautiful. I have to admit though that it was really weird to wake up to just myself that morning. I honestly don't think I've EVER done that in my entire life! Normally I am with my family on Christmas Eve, and we all wake up together and have breakfast and open presents. Then my sister and I head to my mom's to do it all over again with her and my step-dad and step-sister. It's a full day full of food and people and festiveness. This year, I woke up to myself. It was very strange. So, I took the opportunity to call my families and talk with everyone. Then around 1 pm, all of us American/Canadian missionary staff headed over to Jan and Doug Taylor's house (part of our staff...missionaries from Canada in charge of the marriage and family ministries here) for a good ole' fashioned Gringo Christmas dinner. We had turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy (which you never find around here...quite a treat!), I made my dad's apple cider, and we had beets which is apparantly a Ukranian tradition (Jan is Ukranian and they always have something red to represent the blood of Christ).

Christmas Day feast at the Taylors
Clockwise, L-R: Married couple friends of Steve and Gena, Kathy, Jonathan, Dave, Doug, Jan, Steve, Gena holding Emma, Rebecka

It was a great Christmas this year. It was totally different, but it was unique and perfect. It was unforgetable, and full of significance and power..just as it should be. I truly wish that Christmas could last all year long. I don't know understand why it's so hard to carry with us throughout the year the same Spirit that makes us so festive and so disposed to unity and fellowship at Christmas, but that's my prayer for my own life as well as for our churches here: that the Lord would fill us with THAT Spirit and that it will light this area and this country on fire for Him!

Merry Christmas!!