Our First and Last Christmas Eve in Uruguay

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

We had an absolutely marvelous Christmas Eve! 

Mike was most grateful that our 12 days of Christmas deliveries has come to an end!

The morning was spent doing some baking and putting our present under the tree!

That took all of 1 minute, 

but our present is under the tree!

At 3 pm, the Anderson's, Hermana Orme, Hermana Diaz, the Harris' and the Casa's (they are a local missionary couple that serve in the temple) and of course Mike and I, we went to a retired home for the aged and sang Christmas carols and painted the ladies fingernails. I brought my keyboard and played.   It was a most humbling and rewarding experience. The video is very short. Watch it.

YouTube: Christmas Cheer

After that we finished up our 12 Days and everyone was actually home except for one. We sang Feliz Navidad and I can proudly announce that I know more words to that song now!  

We left at 6 pm and headed to Beatriz Gea's home for the most delicious Asada I have had since being here in Uruguay. We played some music on the piano, Mike talked about Migdal Eder and then we watched the Christmas Story.  After that program we ate all kinds of delicious food.  They are such a wonderful family.  Very much like our own family and I loved every minute of it!

Grandpa & Grandma trying to take a pic
with their grandkids.  Very familiar.

The baby is screaming. She is finished!

I wore my hat all day and as we were delivering
the last of our 12 days, I noticed that I
received alot more attention than usual :)

Baby crying. Mom and Grandma are busy.
Grandma Debbie to the rescue! 

When we left at 10:30pm, they gave us
some presents.  I left them with a jar
of my cookies per their request.

We arrived back to our apartment at 11:15 pm. The Anderson's and Hermana Orme and Diaz joined us in our apartment foyer and with my keyboard we sang Christmas carols for our apartment.  No one came and joined us as we had hoped, but we did our part in sharing the message of Christmas for 12 days with our neighors and friends.  

We sang for about 20 minutes then went upstairs to our apartment to watch the Christmas Eve fireworks.  I have a video but it does it no justice.  You take our 24th of July fireworks and times that by a thousand and the whole city was ablaze.  Pretty spectacular.  

This photo was taken by Hermano Harris.

YouTube Link:  Fireworks Ablazin'

After 1/2 hour the fireworks started to settle down, although alot were still going on for another hour. We facetimed with our family and spent Christmas Eve with them watching and participating with them.  I hope they remember what the Tree of Life symbolizes and why we gave them a necklace or tie pin that has the Tree of Life symbol. They were made in Uruguay and the symbol is found all over Uruguay, but most people do not know what it symbolizes.  That is why we are are in Uruguay. We are helping people come unto Christ.  

I loved watching all the chaos of this special evening and I loved that they showed the video of the Christmas Story.  I went to bed about 3 am and loved this whole day!