Hot Chocolate and Bleached Beards

December 13, 2010

Two more days until Christmas vacation. Up until now December has been filled with Christmas parties, festive songs, hot chocolate and Panton.

This last Sabbath we had a chocolatada. Pretty much a hot chocolate party. We had Yerbas Buenas and Santa Elvita churches come together at Santa Elvira to have J.A. (Adventist Youth program).

We decorated Hermana Lucia’s house with paper snowflakes and stars. A small tree with Christmas decorations stood at the front of the church. The place looked very festive and whimsical as the breeze made the paper decorations spin wildly from their strings.

We had a quaint Christmas program planned. I started it off with some kids songs on my ukulele, accompanied by one of my students, Jennifer. Our first song was “Your Everlasting Love.” We had everyone participating and jumping around. I loved seeing the adults hopping in line. After the songs it was time for me to tell a Christmas children’s story. I decided to share with them one of my favorite Uncle Arthur’s Christmas stories.

I love that guy, Uncle Arthur. He has provided me with many a children’s story over the years, and this one didn’t fail me. The story I told was about a boy who’s family was very poor and had a sister who was sick. One evening he was invited to a Christmas party. More stuff happened in between, but the main part of the story was that instead of choosing a red fire engine as his gift he chose a baby doll for his sister. Of course all the ignorant children laughed at him and made fun of him for choosing a doll. In the end he gives his sick sister the doll and he ended up getting the red fire engine because the lady who invited him to the party understood his reasoning. The kids seemed to like it. I had fun telling it.

The rest of the program continued with more songs, some really good testimonies, and games. Then it was time for the yummy stuff. Some church members hauled the huge vat of hot chocolate from the fire where it had been warming. Along with that we had three boxes of Panton to hand out to all the members.

Once all of the goodies had been consumed it was time for Papa Noel to make his appearance. Caleb had been growing out his beard as sort of a bet with Jonathan. Daniel (one of the Peruvians) convinced him to bleach it to make him look more like Papa Noel, Santa Claus. He looked a bit ridiculous with his beard an orangey-blond and his hair still black. But it was fun. He came out of the van with a blinking Santa hat, holding a bag full of toys merrily shouting, “Ho, ho ho!”

All the kids rushed him wanting their regalos. The stampede of yelling children must have been a bit overwhelming as they shouted, “Papa Noel, Papa Noel!” I happened to be wearing a red shirt and a black skirt, which matched Caleb’s red shirt and black pants. So I was dubbed, “Mama Noela.” It was fun handing out the toys.

After we passed out toys to the eager children we went around the little town of Santa Elvita giving gifts to the kids that didn’t make it. It was a good night and a very merry navidad.