Christmas?

Today was Christmas...even here in Hanga! I was telling everyone yesterday that there were two main reaons that it didn't feel like Christmas: 1. because there is no snow on the ground (look at the green!) 2. because i am wearing shorts...and have been wearing shorts for the past 6 months!

The morning of Christmas Eve I woke up to Charlie knocking at my door telling me it was time to go tree hunting. So, we set off...me, Charlie, Anne, Lennart, Gaudence, and one big machete. There arent as many types of evergreen trees here in Tanzania, so we couldn't have the traditional douglas fir...but we did manage to find a good looking branck of some pine tree, cut it off and haul it back to decorate!

Here we are on the hike back to the hostel with our prize.

Anne and Lennart very excited to decorate our branch in its own little corner...the final decorated, nice smelling product! complete with a bucket to keep it watered, and a nice string of popcorn for decoration!

Last night after dinner, we had "recreation" in the main gathering room. We got togethe with all the monks and all of the students who were in Hanga still, and had a kind of talent show! Some monks put on some pretty funny skits (even funny if you dont understand Swahili!), one monk recited a poem, and then there was music! Charlie played piano accompanying Br. Agustine on violin for Silent Night. Charlie also played with me as I played trumpet for The First Noel and Joy to the World. It was a lot of fun to be able to participate.

After the talent show, we had one and a half hours to take a nap, and then prayer and Mass began in the church at 11:45 PM! Prayer lasted about an hour, then there was a break, and Mass was about two hours. So! We left church around 2:30 AM. This was the longest Christmas celebration I had been to, and the first I had ever been to in Swahili!, but it was a great experience.

Christmas day was a day of rest. The only thing on the agenda was getting together in our common room and watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation!

Merry Christmas to all! More painting and work to be done around St. Laurent's this coming week. I will be on the way back to Dar es Salaam before the 1st as well to pick up my dad and show him around the country for a couple weeks!

all for now.