Belated Christmas greetings from Ecuador

Friends and Relatives:

Christmas kinda snuck up on us and passed us before we knew it. Without snow and cold and long dark wintry nights, it isn't the same in a land that is constantly warm with balmy evenings. The sun comes up at 6:30 am and goes down at 6:30pm, every day, and temperatures are generally in the 80's and low 90's. This week the rains arrived. It has been 7 months with no rain. Generally it rains at night when it does, so life goes on the same during the day. Today it is raining. It must be trying to catch up for lost time, as it rained hard all night.

We did have a couple of Christmas celebrations. We went to the home of a family and spent Christmas eve with them so we could welcome in Christmas at midnight. That is an Ecuadorian tradition. Television and American movies have homigenized culture to a certain extent. The home we were at could have been Canadian or American. There was a large artificial tree covered with lights and ornaments with wrapped presents below. A custom that is becoming increasingly popular in recent years. There was also a little plastic snow man and a cutsie plastic moose wrapped up in a scarf. I am sure nobody in the house has ever seen either a moose or a snowman or needed a scarf. This family was well off with professionals bringing home the bacon, so was not really typical, I suppose. They served up a traditional chrismas meal that was very good shortly before midnight

Another tradition is that many nativity scenes do not have the Christ child, until midnight on Christmas eve. The nativity will remain until the 6th of January after that.

New years eve was spectacular from our party on the roof of the apartment. The temple is on top of a hill, and the roof of the apartment is 3 stories up. From that location we could see fireworks going off all over the place all evening. From 11:50 till 12:30 there was an incredible fleurry of fireworks as far as the eye can see in all directions. The glow of fires was everywhere with explosions of firecrackers as people burned their munejcas in the streets. We leaned later that the main action was down on the waterfront with lots of music and dancing to salsa music and fireworks. Had I known that, we would have been there. I still love to dance, and salsa is great music to dance to.

In three weeks the temple will close down for two weeks. We are trying to find a family in Otavalo to live with and work for. We have offered to pay our room and board while helping to work in the gardens on the mountain sides or help build or do whatever while getting to know more about Otavalo and Otavalans from an Otavalan family. We have made some contacts with a bishop and a stake president but nothing has gelled yet. Of all the people we have met, the Otavalans and Canaris impress us the most. They are incredibly hard working, and cling tenaciously to their culture, and for the most part the Otavalans have not intermarried with other races or cultures. Most of the older Otavalans speak chichuan rather than Spanish. We sure hope something will come together there in the next three weeks. If not, we will just have to relax, jump on a bus and go see some places we haven't seen yet, and maybe go back to Banos for some hiking in the mountains, biking and thermal baths for a few days. We love Banos.

Our time here is running out. We have less than 4 months remaining. We will be glad to be back in Nova Scotia. We love our friends and home there and small town life in Liverpool. As nice as the weather is here, I actually miss snow and the change of seasons. I love getting in a garden in the spring and tending it. I love harvesting the produce. I love working outdoors when I am not wringing wet with sweat (not the case here), and even have hopes that somebody or a few somebodies would like me to help them build a house. I think I have a few more houses left in me. I love preparing for winter and then burning the wood and using up what produce we have put up. I even like getting driven indoors by bad weather so I can putter in my shop. That is doubly enjoyable with snow or rain coming down. I have a list of projects I look forward to both indoors and out.

Having said that, I can honestly say we are not getting "trunky". This has been the most rewarding life experience we have ever had. We will leave a large part of our heart here. We have developed friendships that will last through eternity. Tears come to my eyes when I think of saying goodbye, and already have hopes that we can return in a few years if possible to spend a few winter months working at the temple and seeing friends. The Lord knows his business when he inspires his servants to make mission assignments.

We are hoping you all had a joyous and fun filled Christmas and New Years celebrations with friends and loved ones, and that you have a prosperous and happy 2010.

Love, Peter & Debbie