Christmas 2014

Celebrations are on December 24th Christmas Eve where family and friends get together for a meal and gift opening at midnight.  There is no Santa celebration here just remembering the Gift of Christmas which is the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ.  Children open their presents at midnight and play with toys till 2 or 3 am and then the family goes to bed until midday the next day.

We spent a little time at our director's home Julio Alvarado and then we went to another Senior Missionaries apartment building where we had caroling and an outstanding Christmas program and dessert afterwards.

When we returned home we enjoyed two hours of fireworks.  Wow what a display all over the city.

As part of gift giving I made Banana Nut Bread for the two neighbors on our floor.  They are older couples and we don't see them all that often but when we do they are most kind.  They were very happy and thankful to get my wrapped up Banana Bread.....and I think they were surprised by the gift. 

Also in remembering our staff at the apartment I made Christmas Sugar Cookies...frosted of course and delivered them to the front desk at the base of our apartment.  They were surprised also.  Glad we did that.  It was fun.

Christmas Day was relaxed and peaceful and then at 3 pm we went to the Cragun's apartment and with the rest of the senior missionaries had a Christmas dinner with ham and turkey and all the trimmings.  Had a great time.!!!!

This is Julio Alvarado's tree in his home.

Cragun's apartment where a Christmas Eve Program was nicely prepared



 Starting the program

Where we sat at the Cragun's apartment



Christmas in our apartment 2014

We decided not to buy a Christmas tree real or otherwise because what were we going to do it after we leave??.....So we elected to display a typically made Nativity (or in Spanish it is Naciemiento ) here in Guatemala.  We bought a handmade crèche at a fresh produce market and some wool wrapped lambs at an artisan market.  Al calls them his lamby poos.  The picture of "Journey to Bethlehem" was purchased from the states and we had it framed here.  We have a light in the ceiling of our apartment that is strategically placed over the picture.  It looks great.  And our director Julio Alvarado´s wife cross stitched a Christmas Tree and framed it for us.  So now we have a Christmas Tree we can take home with us.

On our door we bought a Christmas Wreath that we added some things to.  It is known here as a Corona de Navidad or Crown of Christmas.....

Corona de Navidad



Cross stitch Christmas Tree by Blanca Alvarado

The picture on the wall is called "Journey to Bethlehem" purchased from the US but framed here in Guatemala

The Naciemiento is a typical wood carving of the Nativity Scene or Belén

Sheep are wool wrapped.

Ceramic vases to the side are handcrafted in Guatemala

Montufar Ward Christmas Sacrament Meeting Program

On Sunday December 21st we attended the Ward we usually go to when we are in town, Montufar Ward.  Its close and many of the area office employees go there so we feel pretty much at home.  They had a Christmas Program with many of the ward members in the Ward Choir.

 Children participated also in the choir

December 12th Area Office Christmas Devotional and lunch

On Friday December 12th we were invited to join the Area Office devotional and Christmas lunch.  It was held at the Montufar Ward meeting building in a very large inside facility attached the meeting building.  It was decorated beautifully and we were served an  elegant lunch.

 Everyone had an opportunity to sing on stage

 Great entertainment by some local instrumentalists and singers

Area President´s twin daughter Lindsey and Lacy were my interpretors for the Christmas devotional.

December 4th thru December 9th A very busy week.....Area Presidency Breakfast through Costa Rica Trip

Its actually December 14th but I am just getting to recording the week of December 4th through the 9th right now.  It was an awesome week but it took me a little while to get rested to write this.

Early December 4th there was an Area Presidency Christmas Breakfast that welcomed Stake Presidents and public opinion leaders...including congressman and congresswomen...we sat next to one at the breakfast.  It was a wonderful breakfast and entertainment.  A choir of missionary trainees from the CCM and a Cantata of Bells from the Institute of Religion entertained us with music. Later the Area President spoke to the attendees on the importance of the season.  It was held at the CCM or Missionary Training Center in one of the Sala's or rooms.  Large round tables with red tablecloths and Christmas flowers all done with exquisite taste.  Very well done.

We went back to the office thinking we would have a little time to work before we got on a plane to Costa Rica at what we thought 4:45....wrong.  Al read the time on the tickets wrong.  The travel department came over and said we had to get on the plane at 3 pm and to get out of there.  We raced home quickly packed our bags and headed for the airport.  Our Costa Rica trip was really going to be a highlight of our time here as we were going to attend and (have helped with) an awesome activity headed by Andrea Heid who is married to my nephew Danny Heid.  The activity ''Él es la Dádiva" or "He is the Gift".  That is the theme of the Church this year for Christmas. A wonderful video called "He is the Gift" was released this December on the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ with subtitles in several different languages and shown to all that attended.

We arrived at our hotel...The Tryp Hotel in San Jose Costa Rica and was shortly greeted by Andrea and Danny Heid at our Hotel.  Our original plan was to go out to dinner but misfortune hit the Heid´s and their Honda Van broke down right in front of our Hotel.  So we had dinner together in the Hotel and Danny called a tow truck to take his car to a dealership.  We enjoyed a nice visit and dinner while Danny and Andrea waited for the tow truck.

The next day was Friday the 5th, first day of a two day event at the La Sabana Stake where an amazing activity with invitees including members and community members, mayors and even an archbishop from a local Catholic Church.

Andrea, Danny and Connor their son did a tremendous amount of work for this event that was so well received

The following is the story for the Costa Rica Newsroom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPZzRf8kVmI

On December 5^th and 6^th the La Sabana Stake invited over 700 community members and public opinion leaders to share the Christmas Spirit with a form of live art from LDS Artists, Simon Dewey and Liz Lemon Swindle, Carl Heinrich Bloch a nineteen century Danish artist and James Seward a well known artist of spiritual art. The LDS Videos of “He is the Gift” and other LDS Christmas videos were shown to over 1400 attendees

A Christmas tour started with videos shown on a 10 foot screen before groups of 15 were guided by the youth of the stake to three rooms depicting the art forms of the Christmas Story from St. Luke of the Bible.  At the end, visitors exited to the outside of the building where a live Nativity depicted the painting by LDS artist Liz Lemon Swindle called "Silent night".  A choir greeted visitors with Christmas Carols as a concluding event with refreshments and Christmas paintings and Christmas Trees. The La Sabana Stake choir sang Spiritual Christmas Carols and several musicians from the stake performed on the flute, piano and violin.

The event was also graced with a distinguished guest of a local Archbishop of the Catholic Church who enjoyed the event and felt the spirit and exclaimed at how much he appreciated the Church´s position on the family and bringing the true spirit of Christmas to the community.

A local TV station came to video tape of event that was shown the evening of December 5^th.

All live art had the actual art print right next to it on an easel .

The Sunday after the event was Fast and Testimony meeting in the Escazú Ward and each testimony that was born made mention of the Open House Devotional held the previous last two nights. It was noted that the Open House brought such a Spirit of Christmas to all and the work that went forth was so rewarding to each who helped.

Area Presidency Breakfast



Missionary choir

Area Presidency Breakfast December 4, 2014

Mary receiving the Angel´s message

Local Media filming the live art. This is "Blessed Among Women" by James Seward

This exact print was on an easel next to the live art 

Come to Bethlehem live art

"Come to Bethlehem" by Simon Dewey

Mary's visit to Elisabeth by Carl Heimrich Bloch

"Silent Night" by Liz Lemon Dewey

"Silent Night"

"Silent Night" By Liz Lemon Dewey

La Sabana Stake Choir warming up for the evenings event

The Christmas Music was absolutely beautiful

Local Media filming live scene

Art that live art was portrayed

Refreshments in the Cultural Hall

Typical Tamales were served

Interview with area high counselor with the local media

Collection of Nativity Sets from La Sabana Stake

This one is close to my heart....from the Philippines

Andrea Heid working behind the scenes.  Andrea spent tireless hours to put this event together in Costa Rica.  Andrea you are amazing.

Monday morning December 8th Andrea took us to a Waterfall and animal, butterfly reserve.  We had Andrea´s daughter Lizzie with us.

 Me with a butterfly

Butterfly's love Lizze

Flowers are beautiful

 Butterfly hatching

 Humming Birds

 Puma Cub

 Puma cub

 La Mama

 100 year old Costa Rican house

 Frogvill....hahah, poisoness frogs

 Lizzie loves waterfalls

Well, that's the pictures of the trip.  The one event I did not have pictures of is me on a zip line.  Sorry folks.....it was scary but worth the experience.  When I was through with it I had the dirtiest face.  I wasn´t recognizable.  My hair was all wet from the sweaty helmet I was wearing so I had to wash my face and run some water through my hair which made my hair all curly....which it is naturally.  Little Lizzie looked at me very puzzled as if she had never seen curly hair...she probably hasn´t as she has straight hair and all members of her family.  I explained that I have naturally curly hair and she said in disbelief...."Whyyyyy?"" Gotta love kids.