Last night we had an impromptu Christmas sing-a-long (Tim on guitar, me on violin, and 5 voices). It was kind of fun singing carols with people from four different ethnic groups and native languages. Joni (far left) is Quechua; Julio, Abuelita and Miriam are Spanish Peruvian; Anarosa (far right) is German; Tim and I obviously are American. I was also happy to be able to offer my violin in some way, and I think they were glad to receive it.
My favorite part of the video (and maybe of living in this house) is Abuelita. I think she is 81, and her hearing is a little weak. I told her she could only come to the sing-a-long if she promised to smile. Not hard for her, since I think she spends half the day laughing. Anyway, notice that Julio keeps singing into her ear. That's so that she will know where we are and what key we're in.
Joni is from a Catholic family and didn't know any of the carols. We talked some after the sing-a-long about God and what it is like being around all these crazy evangelical Christians. She said she likes to read the Bible but often forgets what she reads. She also mentioned that she loves to read the stories about Jesus, especially his birth and death. We decided that during this Christmas season we will read them together. I am so thrilled to be able to share this season with her. Her heart is eager and sincere like a child. My prayer is that we will be a blessing and a gift to one another while I am here in Arequipa.
This is really sweet, and it was nice to hear a little of your violin and guitar playing, which are very much missed around here. I was thrilled to read about Joni's interest in reading Bible stories, and I'll be praying for your time with her. We miss you!