25/12/09

Feliz natal. Other than the three wonderful and almost extravagant meals, the day passed without any real indication that it was Christmas. The sisters gave the four of us (the two Spanish volunteers, Ann, and me) each a beautiful capulana. It was really sweet of them to give Ann one as well (since her housing situation is still up in the air, she has been basiclly living here with me anyway). The capulana is a beautiful pattern and really nice quality and thus more expensive than I would have been able to pay. The Salesian priests who run the professional school across the street came over for dinner and festivities. After dinner was sort of a variety show. I had been caught playing the mission’s guitar earlier today, so I played and sang “Star of the County Down.” Some people led songs or dances (there is always lots of singing and dancing with Mozambicans). One sister lead a game. One of the men (I am not sure if he is a brother, in training to become a priest, or just works and lives with the Salesians) played the drum and everyone had to say thank you in a different language. My director and one of the men did a skit of Mary and Joseph on Christmas, looking for somewhere to stay and then giving birth to baby Jesus. She started crying profusely and when Joseph asked why she was crying she said “it’s a boy, I really wanted a girl!”