Dashing through the snow

You may or may not have heard me mention that we live in Mozambique--whose culture is quite a bit different from that to which we are accustomed.  I am a little bit sensitive about being or becoming an "ugly american" who tries to impose my culture.  I am particularly sensitive in the church, where we have too many (imho) cultural trappings which we ignorantly assume sometime to be "gospel" truths.
Well, we decided to have a church Christmas party--with some cultural trepidation.  I asked one of our strong investigators to head it up--but she had to travel and put it back in my lap. 

We went very simple, planning to sing, show a christmas movie (on the TV that we bought ourselves this week for the purpose because the church physical facilities process is endless in Africa). sing some more and eat.  Between Debbie and the young missionaries, I lost the cultural battle.  We were decorated with paper chains and snowflakes (it appears that Elder Barlow possesses a snowflake gift, creating spectacular ones--some featuring embedded fish and Mozambican maps).  Santa hats were worn and English christmas music played from ipods as background.  We worried that people might not come--as the holiday is just not done here as elsewhere.  The evening however went wonderfully, with about 75 coming(remember that 56 is the most we have ever had at church) (interesting that a few men came after leaving wives home to tend children).  Debbie had made gift bags for children over my strenuous objections ("you just don't DO that here)--which were of course a wonderful hit with the kids).  A very very nice evening. with cakes provided by Debbie and Elder Derrickson and the bakery--though Elder D's pineapple upside down cake was widely recognized as the best).  It ended about 9 pm (2100 here) which is a problematic time for families with children to get home--as bike taxis are mostly gone by then--so I volunteered to take mothers with babies home.  All in all, a very nice evening that the local group absolutely loved--we drove them home to the strained strains of them trying to get the long "glorias" right in Angels We Have Heard On High.  A lot of fun it was.  Wishing you and yours a very Feliz Natal.

You will note Debbie was ordered by the women to look a little more African tonight so she put on her capulana and head scarf. 

This is perfectly in keeping with all Mozambican transportation laws.