It´s Begining To look alot like Christmas...well kinda

Christmas in Ecuador I have decided is going to be quite the experience. We´re all preparing and getting ready…just in a very very different way than I have ever experienced. Living in a country that is suddenly dominated by Catholicism I´ve learned some very different Christmas concepts.

Christmas in my family here, is focused and centered more around the Virgin Mary. We started nine days before Christmas with each night doing the Novella. We´ve rotated from house to house, starting at my Grandparent´s and then ours, and then my aunts. Every night at eight they start with about a ten minute prayer to Mary. Which to me it sounds like it´s the same words over and over and over again.

Then each night we read the Christmas story, and then focus on one of the Characters whether it be Joseph, or Mary or Jesus….The little wood burning stove that you can see is lit every night, along with a candle. It´s been really interesting for me, and then after words we always have bread and coffee, or for me, hot chocolate.

We set up our tree the second week in December, along with the Nativity below it. Our nativity is like a little village, with little houses lining the streets and then the stable hidden in the background. The houses resemble to me little Ecuadorian Pueblos. The star and the angel are found in the tree, my mom was very particular about that. The picture of the shiny lit up tree is my Grandpas. He´s actually way into the Christmas spirit. He has a whole room dedicated to his village.

I am excited to Celebrate Christmas with them though and I can´t wait to tell you all about how that goes. Christmas Eve here is the big celebration. We stay up all night eating, and dancing, and then at midnight we will exchange gifts. My mom´s mom died when she was 46 years old leaving my mom to take care and be the mom for her two sisters. So my mom Patty is really the older sister, the mom, and now the grandma. Our house will serve as the celebration house. I can´t wait to write my blog post about that one!
Being in a different culture is always challenging…but when you bring together the two cultures and try to make them work sometimes it creates some large problems. The Ecuadorian Culture isn´t like the Utah culture when it comes to Christmas spirit. The people here have been taught their whole lives to hold on to what they have, because if they give it away they´ll never get it back. I was recently put in charge of a “class Christmas service project” where I helped organize a fundraiser for a local orphanage. It was honestly one of the most stressful things of my life. All my class said they really wanted to help, but when it came down to it, the day I was supposed to deliver the things to the orphanage no one had brought anything. I know it´s pathetic, but I started to cry. I had been planning, and organizing for three weeks and when it came down to it, all I had to show for it were two grocery bags of things, and the six pairs of socks I donated. I came home in tears, and my mom asked me what was wrong. When I explained to her what happened she went around the house collecting things. She then sat me down and tried to help me see why her culture was this way. She then told me my intentions were good, and that I would get credit in heaven for trying….

Given mine and Gabi´s present financial state we decided to make home made Christmas gifts. Which is also kind of challenging…but we ended up making these awesome homemade frames…i´ve posted one of them so you can see how awesome they were. We made those for Sofi, Gloria and Angy. And also our missionary friends. Then we made homemade bracelets for people, and then I bought some Books of Mormon to give out as presents to my friends…which I wrote my testimony inside and I was so proud of my self! Sunday Gabs and I were craving Christmas treats, so we made some of our own…which didn´t turn out exactly like grandma´s sandies…but close enough. And our families loved them.
Although I am very far away from my family this Christmas, i´ve learned that Christmas is in the heart, and I can sit here and wallow because i´m not with them, or I can share my traditions, learn the Ecuadorian ones, and make the best of it. I only get this opportunity once, and i´m enjoying what I am learning….
You might be wondering what this next picture is…well you see we went to our ward party. Which was a talent show. When Gab´s and I showed up, the bishop asked us if we could please throw together a number to perform. Well we agreed, and we decided to first sing. Well those of you who know me really well know I can´t sing. But this is me, up on stage with Gabi, belting out Popular from Wicked. If that idea doesn´t make you laugh…I’m not sure what will. I also taught Gabi one of the cheer routines I remembered from last year and we shook it to Come on Over Baby! I´ll put some more on Facebook, so you can all enjoy us singing and dancing…it was great, we also “taught” them all how to dance like “Gringos”.
The talent show was awesome (minus us) they did some skits, and some awesome traditional dances. One of the members from our obispado played the guitar, and then one of the sweet little old ladies did a traditional dance. And then afterwards we all ate a turkey dinner. I felt so official because they asked me to bring a dessert. I made my cake…oh that has a story too! Ok so I made Skor cake for Turkey day but they don´t have skor bars here so I just put a chocolate bar on top, that tasted good. Well it became such a hit, i´ve been making it for everything here or there and it´s become known as “Emily´s Cake”. For the Christmas party they asked me to please make “Emily´s Cake”. I put M&M´s on top and made it look all pretty.

It´s defiantly been weird, without snow, and cold…and all that. I mean when I went Christmas shopping I got sun burned on my feet from wearing sandals. And yet, I know that with or without snow Christmas is the same. And I know that Christmas is a time to remember and celebrate the birth of our Savior.

. It´s a time, where no matter where I am, I can find the spirit of Christmas, because even though all around me might be different and unfamiliar, the feeling of Christmas, is not.
I wish you all a very very merry Christmas!
Love,
Emily