i love christmas in guatemala. and not just for the christmas eve midnight fireworks and the delicious tamales and "ponche" (all of which are amazing)!
i love christmas in guatemala because of the perspective it brings. it's a bold reminder of the reality that can escape us all, if we allow it to.
millions celebrate this time of year by excessive shopping and spending, even sleeping in parking lots for the chance to buy the latest items. we celebrate and anticipate a jolly delivery man in a red suit who leaves presents under our trees and fills our stockings with treats.
but living in a third world country, stricken by extreme poverty, does something to shatter what i once considered fun and innocent.
we spent christmas eve hanging out with rosibel's family, among others. rosibel is 13 years old (pictured here with her grandma and little brother). her dad was murdered when she was 9. her mom and older sister have to work full time 6 days a week (5am to 8pm) to keep their family afloat.
as for rosibel - she hikes up a mountain for firewood (twice a day), cooks, cleans, and takes care of her little sisters and brother.
that is her reality every single day. no school, no sports, no sleepovers. a brutally difficult life for a 13 yr old girl.
rosibel did not wait up for santa last night. her sisters viviana (10) and luki (7), and her little brother anderson (2), weren't having a hard time sleeping because of the excitement for what they might open up the next morning.
unfortunately, this christmas eve reality is what dominates the majority of the modern world. if we allow that truth to sink in, it should change us. not just fill us with guilt and lead us to ban christmas presents. that would be missing the point. it should lead us to care more deeply for others. to call those who suffer in poverty our neighbors, and begin loving them as we love ourselves.
as we gave gifts to rosibel's family, we knew that these were the only gifts they would receive for christmas this year. their hugs were longer and tighter than normal. the gratitude in mom's face and the tears in her eyes spoke loudly.
this is our third christmas in guatemala. we continue to learn and grow. we continue to be stretched. i pray that process never stops.
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