Christmas Time

December 24

Christmas Eve! Though none of us could quite believe it. Another 90 degree day and not a cloud in the sky. Sorry Bing, no White Christmas for these kids. So we weren't out making snow men or hanging stockings by the fire, there was plenty of Christmas spirit in the air. Our hosts were kind enough to invite us to a midnight vigil Mass in Sirgu. The church was decorated beautifully with white and blue streamers. The balloons hanging from every available surface gave the whole place the air of a birthday party which I suppose is what Christmas is really all about.

As we sat in the the pew in the front of the church and waited for the ceremony to start I don't think any of us anticipated a 4 hour service. By 1:00 am, it was becoming obvious that the rest of the congregation was feeling a little antsy to get home too,, as some of them were walking up to the soloists and trying to pay her to stop singing. Alas we survived, even those of us who are not catholic .The service was lovely, vaguely familiar but unlike any service we had ever attended at the same time. I'd have to say, I would be at church many more Sundays in the States if we had a choir like that... or a drum section...or a 30 minute break for a giant dance party in the middle of the service. We came home exhausted, and dutifully went to bed to await the sound of sleigh bells and hooves above us.

The next morning we were surprised to find ourselves again in the pew. Another Mass but this time in Yua and this time only 2 and a half hours. We sat in a building of concrete blocks with open doors and windows. There was a wonderful breeze blowing throughout. Everyone was dressed in the most elaborate colors and textures. It felt more like Easter than Christmas. This time we were not allowed to be silent observers. We were led to the front of the church to be officially introduced to the community. After a rather awkward introduction we were instructed to dance as the eager faces of Yua looked on. After what seemed like a lifetime of shuffling about in front of the alter we were mercifully led back to our seats.

After church we enjoyed a wonderful Christmas dinner or Guinea Fowl stew, rice, and Pitu ( a fermented juice drink which I think tastes like unrefined Mead... Max disagrees). We sat under a large tree in the shade with the breeze and the Father, a very pleasant afternoon. We were so humbled by the generosity and welcoming nature of the community.

After coming back to SWOPA for a short rest, it was off to the Sirgu market to join the night's festivities. We went to Big Joe's Spot and relaxed before hitting the streets to join the party. The streets were crowded and dark, lit by small fires here and there along the road. We found our way to the center of town where a DJ was pumping jams from giant speakers. Big Sean Paul fans, I have to admit I may be a convert. Nearly all of the young people of Sirgu were here dancing it up in the middle of the square. We made our way to the center of the cloud of dust and DANCE WE DID! The whole experience was amazing. I don't think this will be a Christmas that any of us will forget.

Kate

December 26^th

Another great day of work in Yua today! We set out early from SWOPA to dig the four holes for the solar array. Once we arrived in Yua we begun work at once clearing the rocks from the area to make room for the footings. Anna and Kate helped keep the children entertained with her various means while the men worked to dig the placements. Matt oversaw the overall project and made calls to Henry to verify the dimensions to the structure. Despite the difficulty of digging the holes the men joked and laughed the entire time, showing a genuine enthusiasm in working for the entire community's benefit. With the help of the Yuan villagers we finished quickly and had time to survey areas for future projects in the community. Soon we will be pouring the concrete footings that will support the water plaza's solar panels and beginning construction of the drip system.

Finishing early today allowed us time to catch up on our respective hobbies, Kate has her knitting which she is teaching to Matt, Anna is exploring the area around us and tending to her reading, and I have started up running again (along with the the subsequent naps that follow). Along with having time to ourselves we have been able to spend time as a team outside of work and learn more about each other. The relationships we form on this trip will be indispensable for the NAU chapter and ourselves as well, because this is a trip that will change and challenge the four of us in ways we never could have imagined.

Max