Christmas Eve

Horacio Darynel, Esther and I celebrated in El Mirador along with Padre Horacio and the members of El Mirador.

During the worship service we had to struggle to hear over the party that was in full swing next door. The neighbors actually played there music louder when we started the service and shot off firecrackers at the church as well. We have gotten used to the competition and continued.

Afterwards, Don Ismael invited us to his home. He has been fighting hard to stop drinking and the church has been a source of support for him. He is a carpenter and lives in a humble home across from the church. We entered hoping that it could be a brief visit… it was already late and our family was waiting for us to hopefully arrive before midnight. Don Ismael’s wife had prepared dinner! They wanted to share their Christmas and the little they had to celebrate with us. As we left, much later than we had originally hoped, I was struck for the carpenter’s workshop… Joseph too was a carpenter.

I have come to believe that in many ways our brothers and sisters in the margins of the Guatemalan culture either perched on cliffs in Guatemala City or resettled in land no one else wants in the middle of no where… these brothers and sisters understand the incarnation more profoundly than we can. They understand the humble conditions, the stable into which the Christ child was born, for they live there everyday… it was into there reality that Christ entered to bring light and life.

Making of a Family

After worship on the fourth Sunday of Advent, the members of “El Divino Salvador del Mundo” El Mirador gathered in the home of the Valeriano family to celebrate Christmas. Those gathered were from before the church came alive again and the new members of 2005 as well as Padre Horacio, Horacio Darynel, and I. It was a shear joy to be part of the evening because I did not see a bunch of strangers getting together… I saw a family.

Someone brought out a few previously used pieces of streamer and the children and a few young adults took time placing them around the sheet metal, plants and the main gate each time tying the streamer together because they did not have tape. It was by no means the decoration of experts but they were proud of their work. Everyone pitched in with preparing the food, serving food, taking care of the younger children and even making sure that glasses were full of those interested.

Three young men, one 18 year old from a resettled community in the Northwest of Guatemala working in the Lutheran Center in order to attend Junior High, another 15 year old from a single parent, poor home trying to afford to attend eighth grade, and the third a 20 year old from a family that has been living on their land in the City for at least two generations and is currently attending college to be an engineer. Three young men from very different circumstances yet this evening off to one side singing together the songs for the worship service while one played the guitar.

The entire evening there was a sense of belonging, a sense of comfort that not even some families have. The church brought the families together and with the help of God they became one family.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas. Blessings and Peace to you all.

Even in Guatemala the significance of Christmas is skillfully hidden among such activities as office parties, decorations, presents, Santa Claus but Christ continues to reveal himself as our Emmanuel.

Last week Karate promotions were held in the gym we attend. A nearly five hour event in which we each received our new belt, showed a bit of what we had learned and received our kick in the stomach from the Sensei, our Karate teacher. The gym was filled with students and families proudly waiting for their moment.

Horacio, Diego and I were among the last group to be promoted—about 50 students and 150 or so onlookers remained. As we concluded, the new black belts came to the front from a special ceremony. First they demonstrated or dedicated a Karate Kata to their family or Sensei, and then they were all given a small glass of liquor. Finally each was given a candle…

Sensei asked for someone to come up and speak to the spiritual significance of light. One mother volunteered but simply congratulated the young men on their accomplishments. Sensei wanted a more “spiritual” response, so he asked me to come forward and speak.

I came forward, struck by the circumstance. Here I was in a Karate gym where we learn personal defense and combat, where we train our bodies how to react if someone puts a gun to our back or pulls a knife on us… knowledge that is only needed because we live in a world full of violence, a world full of sin. In this very same Karate gym, I was now speaking about the Light of the World, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Light who has overcome the darkest of darkness and who brought an answer to the violence and sin more profound and more permanent than any self-defense class. Jesus the Christ brought us hope and on the cross gave us new life.

We are the Light of Christ in the world, not called to hide but called to shine. Called to bear the Light of Christ into the darkness so that the darkness is no more.

That evening during our Karate promotion, the true light shone for all. The Light of hope, the Light of life, the Light that came to us one Christmas morn.
~
In these days before Christmas, I send you all my love and my deep gratitude for your support and solidarity this year. I neither expected to still be in Guatemala as a Volunteer Missionary nor to have a wedding date fast approaching, but amazingly that is where I find myself. It has been a year filled with joys, fear, anguish and hope. In the midst of the spectrum of emotions and experiences your prayers and support have helped me continue in the path that is before me. You have all been the Light of Christ for me this year. I am humbled to have such faithful people supporting me. It is my prayer that God continues to bless each of you abundantly.

Peace of our Lord,

Amanda

Vigil

As members of the church and community gathered on a crisp evening in the dirt streets of the neighborhood perched on the edge of a cliff spirits were high. A musical group from the East of Guatemala had arrived to share in the fourteenth anniversary of the Augustinian Lutheran Church. Members from the other three Guatemala City churches were also arriving to partake in the Vigil that was to greet the first Sunday in Advent as the sun rose the following morning. Many brought blankets to wrap around themselves as sleep claimed them during the evening and they found space on the unfinished concrete floor. Horacio Darynel and I were not able to attend the Vigil but were to help lead the worship and I was to preach the next day.

It was an evening already filled with the hope of the time of Advent that was fast approaching. This was the first anniversary celebration in nearly eight years and a celebration of the resurrection of a church. A church who when I arrived was little more than a few dry brittle bones but into whom the Holy Spirit had breathed life and now there was life abundant.

In the midst of the celebration of new life death almost swung its sickle. Into the church and vigil one of the members of another one of the churches brought her brother; a brother who chose to dress in a similar manner as the gangs who claim the area. As he entered he was spotted by the gang members in the neighborhood and mistaken for a disliked member of a gang from another part of the City. It did not take long until a group from the neighborhood gang congregated outside the church demanding that the young man come out to be killed. If he did not come out they were threatening to come in and kill him inside of the church. Fear flooded into the celebration and threatened to sweep out the newly given life of the church.

The young man cowered behind the altar expecting to be killed that evening but hoping against reason for the gift of a new dawn. Celebrants tried to figure out how to help the young man that was in their church as a guest and not get hurt themselves. Padre Horacio exited the church to speak with the group of men congregated outside and was rudely received by the young leader of these gang members but continued to calmly speak with them saying that he was not being disrespectful of the gang member and therefore desired to be respected.

It is hard to describe how the situation came to an end only that it did. The young man’s father came, scolded his son for the way he was dressed and brought him and his sisters’ home. Many of the celebrants returned home not wanting to remain for their safety and the safety of their families but others kept vigil throughout the night.

Later the next day we had our Anniversary worship service. While less people attended than we had hoped, representatives from every church except the church of the young man who had received the gift of another day filled the worn benches in support and solidarity of one another and in faith. Two young children were received into the body of Christ in baptism.

In the midst of adversity, during the aftershocks of near death the Body of Christ came together to say that violence and sin was answered once and for all by Christ. While they can threaten us and make us know fear, in Christ we know hope and life. It is there that we cling to the promises of our Lord for us.

December 7

For the last few days among the normal variety of piñatas, Strawberry Shortcake, Sponge Bob, Bob the Builder, Buzz Lightyear, Dora the Explorer, etc, that are sold in nearly every neighborhood of Guatemala a figure of the Devil has made his appearance once again. Various sizes are available but each one is of a figure plastered with red tissue paper, black cloven feet, black beard and hair and two small black horns on top of his head. On his back is a cape and on his wire supported chest is a seven.

Yesterday, I even saw one make shift devil market pop up in the parking lot of a church on the main route to San Cristobal. The market contained little devils of all sizes, and a few Christmas lights, pictures of the Holy Family and knee high wooden sheep.

Today, December 7, all over Guatemala people will take part in the annual burning of the devil. In homes and some parks at 6:00pm, Guatemalans will beat the devil and then burn him. Once the fire has died out, we will sweep out of our homes and into the street all the filth, dirt, dust, cockroaches... and the devil will leave our homes with all the filth that he brings. A Spring cleaning if you will.

And tomorrow… It is my belief that the venders simply take off the seven, remove the horns and replace the black hair and beard for white and sell the devil piñatas as Santa.