Christmas in Carmen Pampa

Christmas in Carmen Pampa is always an event. It starts with buying Christmas gifts. Last week, Sister Jean and Sarah and I went to La Paz to find suitable gifts for 300 children for about a dollar a kid – and we found them! Toy cars were 25 cents each, plastic farm animals the same, little purses with spangles 30 cents, colorful barrettes 20 cents each, little stuffed animals a dollar a piece, and notebooks for school rounded out our purchases. We loaded up two huge bags into a taxi to the bus station, glad to have the shopping out of the way. A big Gracias! to Kimberly Lane for the donation of gifts.

On the 23th, Sister Carmen taught the children in the community a traditional dance to do during mass to celebrate the baby Jesus arriving at the church, and Sister Jean had the gifts bagged up.

Father Alejandro came to celebrate mass on the eve of the 24th, and it was beautiful: the children dancing, the presentation of the Christ Child, and two baptisms.






Here community people are lined up to have their infant Jesus figures blessed to take home for adoration.


After mass, students from the college handed out the gifts and everyone shared hot chocolate and bread to celebrate together.




On the 25th, we had a nice lunch with the college students who stayed here to work (many students can’t afford their tuition, so the school gives them work over vacation, and they spend Christmas with us).




Photos from Sister Jean and Mary.