Christmas Eve in the Zocalo

Hey Everyone, I hope you had a great time over the holidays. Here's a little taste of what we did to celebrate.

A Night in Tlacolula

I couldn't believe it. The church, which is still lacking in minor detail, was packed. A ton of people had shown up. The crowd had plenty of time to grow. The pageant was advertised to begin at six, but in true Mexican form it didn't. In fact, we weren't even at the church at six. I had been at the church all day laying more of the brick floor, but as the hour drew near last minute preparations were being carried out and we didn't leave to get cleaned up until after 5. Then, we had to eat of course. So we stopped for tacos on the way home.

When we did get home at about a quarter till, Denise asked if I could be ready in five minutes. I assured her that I could, and I did. I waited a while for the others, and as the clock struck six I began to worry. Everyone else had gone to the church while we were eating tacos. Aside from Habacuc and Denise and myself, we only had David and Pedro in our group. I checked to see that I hadn't been left somehow, and David told me to relax as he continued to get ready. Denis and Habacuc finally immerged from their house and had a new and uncharacteristic urgency about them.

I jumped into the truck, ready to go and they hit the horn for David. They hit it again, holding a little longer this time. Still David was nowhere to be found. Their frustration surprised me, as our tardiness leading up to this moment had been of no concern, now all of a sudden not one precious second could be spared. Also surprisingly, the decision was made to leave David, who had a significant role in the play and was set to be the entertainment afterwards. We pulled away, but only a few hundred yards or so to the visitor’s center, where we had to grab a couple odds and ends. Luckily David used to the extra time to run down the drive with Pedro and jump in the back of the truck. Finally we were on our way to the church.

We arrived only a half hour behind schedule. Everyone was changing into their costumes. One of the girls painted a beard on my face. Everyone had been pretty upset with me for a while, when I shaved and cut my hair. Apparently I hadn't been chosen for my role based on my Christ likeness, but rather my ragged appearance. I was also interested to observe that the entire stage had been set up opposite of how we had practiced. Stage left was on the right and I tucked that bit of knowledge away for later. The last of my costume was being finished and given to me. Unfortunately for me, this whole thing was going to happen after all.

I wasn't too nervous. I had a bit of time to kill, as I was playing the role of adult Jesus in the Christmas pageant, so I didn't appear for a while. I came to find out that Mexican pageants are quite thorough, taking the audience all the way from the birth through the Crucifixion. Fortunately we didn't also have devils and demons, as I've been told some of the school pageants have been known to squeeze into their programs. At any rate, I pondered my lines, which I didn't actually have to say. They had been recorded, as had all the lines and the performers were simply moving their mouths. Everyone but me had recorded their own lines. Luis' voice stood in for mine as my Spanish is still not up to par with theater standards apparently. I'm not sure why he was chosen, because he had a part of his own, and his voice is rather high and scratchy, which became a highlight for the staff to poke fun of later.

Finally, the lights were struck. The music was cued. We were ready to go, and only about an hour and half late. I think it went well for the most. My favorite part was when Chucho plays the angel that appears to the Sheppard’s. Then his multitude of heavenly hosts joins him, which consisted of the little cuna boys, Tavo, Julio, and Luis (not the same Luis who recorded my lines). It was a pretty good event, kind of blur for me, but I have been assured of a video that exists if I ever care to refresh my memory.

There was a ton of food and piñatas. The kids had a pretty good time, and I think their parents enjoyed it too. Many of the kids are set to leave with different relatives on Friday. The small group of us that stays behind is excited to be heading to the beach the day after Christmas. Just like home, there are those that are finishing last minute shopping, decorations and cooking. I have been able to take a couple days off from working at the church now that the deadline has pasted and Habacuc and Denise are taking some much needed time off. We are all very excited to celebrate together. Merry Christmas.

The Spirit of Christmas

It’s been a whole month since my last post and, having been derelict of my writing for so long, some will remain aloof to the reader. I hope that it does not stray from memory when I find myself separated by both time and space from this place and these people. As so much has come and gone in the time we’ve been apart, I’ll try to fill in the pieces with some highlights.

His arrival was much anticipated. Proper research was exercised via facebook though we were still divided on who exactly would show up. Jeff assertively declared it would be the grizzled fly fisherman, while Janelle confidently predicted it would be whoever had dressed their golden retriever in a Canuck’s jersey for their profile pic. Both sides were so sure that a wager was established and we, without TV, local hangout spot, sports, or our normal leisure activities, had some entertainment for which to look forward.

The guy was driving his motorcycle down from Smythers BC (8 hrs north of Vancouver). Jeff and I were working at the church and when Habacuc arrived with Dan at the job, he brought Jeff’s fifty pesos from Janelle too. Apparently he had pulled in on his bike greeted by a less than enthusiastic Janelle who immediately new she had lost the wager.

He arrives just in time too. Being a big strong farm boy from BC’s interior, he was perfect for helping us install the final and biggest beam in the church. It was to stretch across under the now sagging roof, almost perpendicular to the other beams. Hoisted by measures of rope and awkwardly thrust overhead to hands reaching down, we shimmied one end onto a concrete overhang that would support that side. The other side was rigged with a pulley, yet that did not simplify things. Struggling and straining to move the massive beam, our hands grew limp with exhaustions from holding the line. After many failed attempts the side was finally in position to be jacked into place. We had a three-ton car jack that was fitted with a measure of a wood plank and then cranked up. As I imagine, the total weight of the roof must have drawn near to the max bulk of the jack, yet it slowly and steadily lifted the droopy lid straight and flush. It felt to be quite the accomplishment when the roof was finished. Yet the church would prove to be much more work still.

It was fun having Dan around. He gave rides to all the kids and taught Jeff and I how to drive the moto. It was a ton of fun though I nearly laid it down in some loose sand when the neighbor’s dogs ran out in front of me and chased me down the road. We got a lot done at the church in the days that he was here, and then he was off to Cancun to catch a flight to Haiti. Sounds like things are pretty rough there, and we all pray for his safety.

Dan wasn’t he only surprise visitor to the church, though the other was much less helpful. I didn’t personally see him so I can only repeat the story as I have heard it. Pablo, one of the gentlemen that work at the casa hogar laying the brick wall, will also help us in the evenings at the church tiling the bathroom. He’s super nice and a very, very hard worker. At any rate, he was working away in the bathroom after dark when there was a very loud banging coming from the other side of the church. When he lifted his eyes from his work, he saw a massive figure hammering away at the beam we had just hung. It was about three meters off the ground, yet the figure could reach standing on the ground. He was very dark and seemed to be content to beat away at the beam. When Jeff and I heard the story, Jeff suggested that it could have been a good spirit that came to help us with construction. When Habacuc translated that to Pablo, all he did was shake his head slowly from side to side. I’m not sure what it means that there is a nine or ten foot, dark, hammering spirit in the church, but construction to this point has been blessed with safety and accomplishment. I hope that it continues.

I get a short rest this weekend from working at the church. We are going up to the mountains since most all the kids are going on a youth event with Habacuc. Then we’ll return for our Christmas pageant, which I will fulfill my role of our lord and savior, Jesus. I can’t believe I agreed to this but there is no backing out at this point.

I hope everyone is having a very merry Christmas season. It would be fun to be home celebrating with everyone, but we are looking forward to taking some of the kids to the ocean soon and celebrating here at the home as well.