A different Christmas

It is Christmas Day in the evening. I have just arrived back from church. It was a lovely service. The youth group ran it. Donald, 2nd from right, back row, preached very well on how Christmas and the coming of Christ changed everything and how Christ can change us. He is a pastor in training.

Afterwards we shared cake and tortilla chips. There did not seem to be much on the table but we all had plenty to eat and people hung around longer than usual chatting. Somebody collected me from my house by car and took me home afterwards.

I have had a quiet but lovely day with my friend Sharon who was expecting a friend for Christmas. I had invited them both to my place for lunch.
I went over to Sharon's at around 11.30 a.m, we opened presents there and waited for her friend to appear. She never did. (It is "cultural" to accept invitations and not show up.) I had set my table for the possibility of four of us. In the end we were two.

Yesterday, late afternoon, a friend turned up to take me to buy drinking water and food. The supermarket was packed and all the cooked food had gone. People were queuing for chickens coming off the spit. Rocio barged to the front, yelled "There is a lady here who has a broken arm who wants a chicken" The next one was mine! I then found a prepared salad.... wait for it......just chopped cabbage and 3 slices of tomato. I was not complaining. It was all the most expensive food I have ever bought, but I was determined to have a Christmas lunch.

Anyway, Sharon came over. I found 2 carrots to grate and more tomato and Sharon had some sweetcorn, which we cooked. I had cooked some small new potatoes earlier. I made a lovely dressing and we had a super lunch with enough left for me tomorrow. (Sharon has chopped up my chicken for me.) We toasted each other, our families, friends and church supporters in USA and UK with fizzy grape juice. (It was good). As Sharon can't eat Xmas pudd I saved that for when Mags and Gwen return in February.

(By the way it is Sharon's house you can see through the window in the photograph. Note the bars on the windows here!)

We washed up and immediately crashed out on my sofas. We had been asleep an hour when my doorbell rang. It was my young friend, Rocio to wish me a Happy Christmas. As she came in we woke up Sharon. Then my phone rang, a friend from UK on Skype, Judith, who was here in October. We were on ages and Rocio had to go to visit an old lady, who is almost blind, so I did not get to talk to Rocio much. Then somebody else phoned. After that I took the phone off the hook and Sharon and I resumed our naps, after which it was time for church.

Last Thursday the surgeon took the stitches out of my arm. It has left a neat scar. I complained about the weight of the splint and the heat making my arm sweaty and smelly. He then tested me for movement and declared that as long as I put no pressure on anything that I could leave off the splint and use a sling after only twelve days! My arm was very painful and the joint very stiff, but I agreed.

My arm/wrist was much better today. I am exercising it at every opportunity. I have to be very careful not to use it and just to exercise it. I have quite a high pain threshold so I get tempted to do things but I know I must not do anything too soon to put pressure on it. I am not taking any painkillers which could mask pain and cause me to do too much.

Most people go on holiday this week. I should have been going too, Boo, Hoo! Instead I am holidaying here. My colleague and friend Rocio (an angel) is coming on Tuesday and we are going out to lunch. On Thursday another colleague, Marta, (angel number two) is going to take me to the hospital for a checkup, so I will try to get her to come early and take her to lunch too.
The Lord is forever faithful and good to me.