Letter from the Mission Field (Dec 25, 2014)
¡Feliz Navidad! and Merry Christmas! (and Happy Chanukah!) It's Christmas again in Honduras. It's time for parades, fireworks and eating tamales. The Christmas ta male is something new for me. A tamale is made from various vegetables, rice and meats, placed inside a masa (corn dough) dumpling. The dumpling, itself, is wrapped in corn leaves and steamed or boiled. It is an ancient food of th e Mayas, Lencas and other indigenous people, and a tradition, which continues today. Its connection with Christmas is obscure, but everyone makes them this time of the year. They have become, in a way, a New World offering to the Christ Child. Again this year, I went with Father Roberto on his tour of the countryside on Christmas Eve Day (December 24) to celebrate the end of Advent and the beginning of Christmas. This year we had several baptisms at both the Church of the Annunciation and at San Isidro. And, of course, we brought presents for the ki