Holidays Aren't Easier as Senior Missionaries

    Christmas Eve in Paraguay is called "Noche Buena." That is when they celebrate with lots of food, chipa guasu (a type of corn bread with onions and cheese), asado (grilled meat), salads, especially fruit salad, watermelon and lots of fireworks at midnight. Chris stayed up for a promise of church bells calling to midnight mass but the only thing she heard was fireworks all over the city.

    We have begun a tradition on Sundays of having the 4 young missionaries from our ward over. We try and work with ingredients we can find here in Paraguay. We had ham steaks, scalloped potatoes, Ken's mom's 3 layer Jello salad for our Christmas Eve celebration at dinner time. We played a few hands of UNO too. And were inspired by a message from 1 Nephi 3:7 about going and doing because He has prepared a way for everything He asks of us.

    No lemon jello but we just used pineapple as the recipe calls for lemon jello with pineapple juice. No Cool Whip or what we use as whipping cream but the creme here whipped a little bit. We also had to use pink and white heart marshmellows so the center was a light orange. Everyone had more than one piece so it must have been good.
We can find green olive here. So we made the olive tapenade recipe from one of our favorite restuarants in Sioux Falls.

Also made another batch of chex mix with their little bread sticks, pretzels, peanuts and tried Paraguay Cheetos. FAIL with the Cheetos, not the same flavor of cheese as in the States.

    We love Christmas in Paraguay, although people here preparing food may be exhausted, for the most part it is more about what happened in the manger and the gifts of friends and family than commercialized Christmas. From the understated smell of the coco flower that is the scent of Navidad, to the gift of being present with friends and family it is wonderful. We were able to relax on Christmas day and Zoom with a few of our kids. Our family has been blessed while we serve and it is great to hear from them. In fact if it wasn't for missing being with them we would just stay here.

This is our White Christmas. White with fog but closer to a Midwest Christmas than 100+°F weather.

Tuesday was a big day. We finally met our mission leaders at our mission Christmas gathering. Chris couldn't help but remember Christmas in the North Carolina Raleigh Mission and smile because after 39 years and different hemispheres, missionaries are still celebrating in the same ways.

El Burrito de Belén written by a Venezuelan artist and a popular South American Christmas carol

Blanca Navidad-A loose translation 

The Office Staff sings Dos Tracitos de Madera which is a mix of Guarani and Spanish as good as we can tell but it is all about the traditions of a Paraguayan Noche Buena.

One of the sweetest things to watch was all the videos of families wishing their missionaries Merry Christmas. It was heartwarming and emotional and nearly all the Gringo families sang Feliz Navidad.

(Left) Hermana Faundez, companion to the President. (Right) Assistant to the President as Papa Noel passing out Paraguayan treats called Alfajores. If there are any gifts at Christmas it is this or pan dulce.

    This is Hermana Nuñez from the Dominican Republic. She sat with us. She has been reassigned twice due to visa issues and actually served in the same district with one of Carter's friends from Iowa who was serving in the Domincan Republic. Small world! We just had a big meal and Chris had melted chocolate from donuts on her belly thus the ackward pose. It was a wonderful uplifting day of love, laughter and good food.

    When we returned home Chris tried her hand at making chicken pot pies with empanada dough and it worked. Yum and great to carry for lunches to the office.

This one is filled with blueberry jam. We had to do something with the last two pieces of dough. Certainly couldn't waste them.

It has been a quiet week at the office as most people are on vacation. It was nice to be able to catch up on paperwork and get some trips organized for the new year. We found out through the other senior couple at our mission office that although the $160 each we paid for a visa is good for 10 years, every 90 days we have to leave the country and come back in to restart the 90 days or we are fined. Um would have been nice to have that explained but we know now and we have a trip planned next week to Cuidad de Este and hope to enjoy Iguazu Falls from all sides because we have to go out of the country. We might get to see Ituapu Dam as well as visit a few hospitals and health centers. Thank you Mom and Steve, we are using your Christmas gift for some of our personal travel.

    Our flor de coco was a little late blooming and we weren't sure what it was supposed to smell like but it is a subtle smooth smell, like vanilla but a little different. 

Thursday we were supposed to go to the temple with one of the Young Women from our church but she had something come up so we will try again in the new year. We ended up going on Friday and enjoyed it. We were able to do an endowment session along with some sealings. In the sealing room we were reminded by an older sister what consecration was. We don't know how far they traveled and she had a younger sister helping her even to use the bathroom, but she and her husband did a few sealings. Our hearts were full and humbled.

When we came home on Thursday there were pigeons on our balcony and we didn't want them to start roosting there. Ken tried to scare them away but one got caught up in our Christmas lights. Yes there should have been a video of Ken getting the bird to fly away but just imagine it.

Our rainy Friday afternoon

    We have been invited to a family's New Years celebration tomorrow of food and games. The husband works in the office with us. We told them we might not make it to midnight. I think we will celebrate with our friends in Paupua New Guinea at 12 noon.

    Two things about New Years traditions. One is at midnight you walk back and forth across the street with a suitcase for good luck in your travels during the new year. And second, the cicadas come out around now and when you hear the cicadas you know it is time to pick the watermelons. 
    Our missionaries asked if we could do lunch instead of dinner this week because we are going to be gone for dinner. Glad we make a difference in their lives if only for a good meal.

    Remember Ken's pink shirts from a few weeks ago? Well we are working with the National Ministry of Health to update their mammography machines in 9 hospitals throughout the country. Ken will wear the pink shirts the entire month of October for Breast Cancer Awareness!

Spiritual thought come from 3 Nephi 4:32-33

"Yea, they did cry: Hosanna to the Most High God. And they did cry: Blessed be the name of the Lord God Almighty, the Most High God.

And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God."

If we remember Him like this everyday for all the marvelous blessings and promises and power He gives through His atoning sacrafice we can live our lives with the joy of hope.

Happy New Year

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