Christmas is coming!

With Christmas just around the corner, I thought I'd post about some of what it's like celebrating Christmas here in Mexico. What a different Christmas it has been so far! For one thing there's this strange lack of snow and cold weather! The days are constantly sunny, 80 degrees and then they cool off to a cozy 60 degrees in the evening... oh, what torture! It's really nice, but I do miss the snow and the closeness that the cold weather brings - snuggling up under a blanket, baking cookies with my family, all of the parties and get-togethers, the shopping mayhem, dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh... you know, all of that fuzzy Christmasey stuff that comes with the snow and being home near all that's familiar. But, this year I get to experience Christmas in Mexico! How exciting!

One thing I've learned about Mexicans so far is they LOVE to have parties. There is at least one per neighborhood every night it seems! They'll often block off the street with their cars and you can hear the hoppin music miles away. I've been to several "Posadas" (Christmas parties) so far that the church has thrown in various neighborhoods. They are so much fun. Last night we had a "Posada" in one of the neighborhoods we went to. Some of the gringos that go to this neighborhood every Friday night brough pinatas, which I've discovered are actually quite dangerous! It's so hard to keep 50 candy-anxious kids standing back while someone is swinging the bat. And then when the pinata finally breaks, it gets even scarier. I'm so glad all of the kids survived last night... that would've been tragic! I'm not so sure I enjoy the pinata game as much as the Mexicans, or at least the way it went over last night. But, I think the kids all had a great time!
Another fun experience was getting to go see Ana and Sarah's school play on Wednesday. The school was decorated so beautifully with lights, stars, and lots of red and green. It was probably the coziest Christmas experience I've had here so far, and the girls did a great job. It was so cute to see the m dancing around on stage. I had a great time.

Buying gifts has been somewhat of a challenge so far. I don't have a great deal of time for shopping, and so I haven't been able to get acquainted with the stores and where to buy what. They also don't sell Christmas cards in bulk like in the States, so instead I'm going to try to make some out of some cardstock and red and green paper that I found. Another difficulty is that most homes don't have an oven, so I can't bake Christmas cookies either... what do I do!? I just have to be extra creative, which is kind of fun. In some ways, it's nice to not have too many options and just have to learn how to be ok with giving something simple... it's not really what Christmas is all about anyway, right? It's all about Jesus and about His gift to us.

On Christmas eve there will be a candlelight service in the main church that I'm looking forward to. Also, I believe we'll be going over to Lolita's parents house to celebrate. I think it will be really nice to spend time with their family. It's different celebrating Christmas away here in Mexico, but it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I hope to make the most of it!

I hope all of you are enjoying your pre-Christmas days and that you sense God's abundant heart of love for you in the gift of His one and only son.

Feliz Navidad!!