Christmas Time

If we had to use one word to describe Christmas time in Bolivia, it would be "different". It's really hard for us to feel like it's time to celebrate when daily temperatures hover around 95. Then throw in missing different traditions like peppermint ice cream with chocolate syrup, Trinity's Lessons and Carols, bundling up to go look at Christmas lights, and the biggest, spending time with family and friends. All of this could get us down (and quite honestly, does at times), but we're trying hard to keep the traditions we can, while creating new traditions and memories. One particular Saturday morning, we were sitting in the living room by the Christmas tree, reading, coloring, listening to Christmas music (with the air on full blast) and the words to a particular Steven Curtis Chapman song pierced both my heart and Bubba's as we realized how true the words rang to us this year.

"Christmas is all in the heart, that's where the feeling starts
And like a fire inside, it touches every part
'Cause Christmas is all in the heart
And even if no white snow falls, that's all right because
The joy can still be found, wherever you are
Christmas is all, all in the heart."

So as we enjoy new experiences, like listening to our English class learn and sing Christmas Carols with their Spanish accents, we're praying that we will find the JOY that is found from celebrating Jesus's birth, even if we're sweating while opening presents.

This pic was taken using a backdrop from the school Christmas play. Obviously we're not dressed in our appropriate "Christmas attire", but it's a fun picture. I don't think I've ever been so tan in a Christmas picture before!