The Look of Christmas

Because of all the outside influences of icicle lights, Santas and snowmen; people in Paraguay DO use all these as decorations. But one thing that most homes also have is a pesebre, a nativity scene. People still decorate and over-decorate their homes. People set out blown-up Santas and plastic snowmen. It looks kind of silly, but it LOOKS like Christmas that way.
I have snowmen hanging up at home. They are beautiful reminders of my childhood. They are treasures that I DO remember…they are not silly at my house, oh NO…they are my memories. I hung up my stockings, but not by a fireplace. (Plus, I am missing one…mom!) I set out my candles (trying to make things warmer, I guess.) My house is beginning to LOOK like Christmas.
In this country, Christmas is Christ’s birth celebration. Santa Clauses and reindeers are cute decorations, but the TRUE message is still the MAIN message…Christ is born.

The Sound of Christmas

Once again, the pops and bangs remind us of the holiday season in Paraguay. Little firecrackers (and BIG..the dangerous, illegal in US, ones) are popping all day long as soon as children wake up in the morning and until they go to sleep at night. They put them in bottles to make them sound big and deep. They put them onto long poles to make them shoot higher. They light them, they scream, they run, dogs bark, etc. It's the Christmas blast!
No jingle bells in Paraguay, just bangs and noise. People are happy. It's Christmas! Paraguay is a religious country. It is the birth of our Savior! Let's CELEBRATE! How? Making a joyful NOISE!
CHRIST, THE SAVIOR, IS BORN!

The Smell of Christmas

I am not sure why, but Paraguayans love the Coconut flower. It is placed in front of their nativity scenes and sold on the streets all throughout the month of December. Today we went Christmas Shopping with Jason and in almost every street corner there were vendors selling these huge three feet long flowers. While Jason and I were thinking of peppermint, chocolate and cinnamon, Oscar was thinking that this flower reminds him of Christmas.
I started looking some things up online when I got home and found out some interesting information. I stumbled on a discription of it written in a blog by a "half Paraguayan-half American" at http://www.guidetoparaguay.com/2008/11/coconut-flower-for-christmas-flor-de.html

Things that remind me of "you"

Things you gave me that remind me of "YOU"! I’m thankful and think of you when I use these things. I say a prayer for you and feel blessed by your giving.
the Pampered Chef potato peeler
the Little Tikes swing
Edson’s booster chair
Edson’s shoes
Stainless steel bowls
A 38-cup coffee maker
A Canada shirt
Plastic bowls from your wedding
Heart-shaped ice-cubes and a USA flag-tray
Towels and sheets
Red, white and blue glasses
Flavored Coffee and Tea
A hand-made blanket
A really good can-opener
Tupperware...once full of cookies!
Scrapbooking stuff
Clothes
Books
CDs
And…so much more! Thanks, all of you, for sharing part of your lives with us!

Today is December 5

The streets of Paraguay are alive with Christmas preparations.
Some of the visual differences from a Northern Christmas are that here in Paraguay there is vivid color (some times even gaudy!) The streets are full of lights, bells, candy canes, angels, Santa Claus faces, etc. The sidewalks are full of nativity scene sets, different sizes of thatched-roofed houses (to place your figurines in), sparklers, fireworks, watermelons and fruits.
I saw a dead tree today. It was all chopped up, but it was decorated with bows, huge ornaments and Christmas lights. I didn’t like it! It looked bad! But, it probably made its owner soo happy…to see it all colorful like that.
Stores are getting stocked with Christmas decorations, fruitcakes, turrones (a peanut-taffy bar), and pop (or soda…for those of you not from Ohio). Toys will be on sale after Christmas because (in Paraguay) it is really the “KINGS” who bring the presents on January 6th.
There is excitement, a sort of happiness in the air. School is out! It’s summer. Family get-togethers and end-of-the-year parties are being planned. Its vacation time…rest, relax, sleep in, and celebrate! Twenty days till Christmas!

Three activities in one weekend

This past weekend we went to Ciudad del Este. It is a city near Foz de Iguazu (Brazil) and Puerto Iguazu (Argentina). The pastor called us a couple of months ago to tell us about his brother-in-law and sister who want to be married and then baptized along with their older daughter. (They have another boy and girl.)

A couple of days later he called to tell us that he and his wife wanted to be married, also! He asked Oscar to do the wedding ceremony. That kind of surprised us! We thought that they WERE married...and they were, but only in a Civil Wedding. Because of Paraguay's religious traditions a couple will marry in the civil court according to the law, but their "real" wedding is the church wedding and blessing. So, yes, the pastor was married 15 years ago, but not in a church wedding. They have two girls, 13 and 10.

They prepared a huge wedding and asked us to decorate the church...something we NEVER did all alone. We always had help. They had two cakes, a fruit table and barbecued chicken and beef along with three salads. One of the brides actually dressed in a long, cream-colored dress and had flowers in her hand. This couple also had their civil wedding a few minutes before the church wedding. (They were never married legally, but just living together. She did not want to marry him if he didn't get his act together.) The pastor and his wife also went up front, but only asked for a blessing on their family and marriage. This was their "real" wedding.

The next day was the baptism. This couple's oldest (14 year old) daughter actually insisted on them coming to church. The bride (the pastor's sister) wanted change in their marriage. The groom (from a Baptist family back round) always remembered his father preaching to him, but didn't want to change his drinking habits. Their daughter prayed, believed and helped her parents understand God's saving grace. The three of them were baptized on Sunday.

It was such a happy, beautiful weekend.

(I have been jumping up and down about 15 times dealing with a toddler. If this sounds choppy, I'm sooo sorry. I will write more when the little one is asleep!)

Holiday Season Already???

The holiday season seems so busy and yet, we didn't really even start yet. Right?
The parties at our house begin in November. Gaby and Edson have birthdays followed by Thanksgiving. We had a youth picnic with our church at Ñu Guazu Park by the airport. We always have an end of the year school program at Colegio Adonai for the students and a different day for the teachers. We were invited to an IBA graduation. The next day we were off to Ciudad del Este for a wedding and a baptism. We are preparing for a teachers get-together this week.
Things are hectic already and it is not even Christmas!
I am already planning meals and activities!
I am stashing my freezer with water-filled pop bottles...for ice and cold water. (I'll write about that in another blog)
I think I am ALREADY ready to just sit down and enjoy Jesus instead of preparing and planning how we are going to celebrate his birth.