A more-than-middle-aged mom of four, moving to Central America. . .as my kids say, "What's up with that?" I invite you to travel with me as I attempt to understand the movement of God in my heart and in my life. It promises to be quite a ride!
Today I experienced a different "ritual" which seemed a little more in keeping with the focus of Christmas.
Las posadas means "the inns" or "the shelters" in Spanish. A religious and social celebration that takes place for nine nights, from December 16th to 24th, the holiday known as Las Posadas commemorates Joseph and Mary's journey to Bethlehem and their search for shelter prior to the birth of Christ. Las Posadas is a reenactment of this difficult journey.
Yes, that is a rose blooming in the outside garden! I love Christmas in Guatemala. Don't even miss the snow!
At Hermano Pedro, the celebration began a bit early, and today it was the children's area's turn to "host" Mary and Joseph for the day. What was most striking about this experience was that it brought our residents with disabilities together with people visiting the clinics, and even folks from the community who came to participate in the procession which wound around the entire hospital and ended in our unit.
Gloria playing a turtle shell drum
I was impressed by the serious tone of this procession, and really enjoyed the singing that accompanies the procession. (The link at the top of this entry is for a song typically sung during the procession.) It reminded me of Christmas caroling. It also gave us a great opportunity to teach the Bible Stories leading up to the birth of Christ. If there's one thing our kids understand, it's not being wanted or welcomed. I think it was good for them to know that Mary and Joseph, and ultimately Jesus shared this experience.
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