Getting Ready!

Things are coming together rapidly for Nochebuena...like each year, it is a mad dash for a month and a half, but it always seems to work out great!

We have been busy, busy, busy the past weeks, buying supplies, buying gifts, practicing with the youth for singing, a drama to perform etc.

We took a few of our helpers with us to CEGMA, which is like a distribution center for goods where we can buy things in bulk.

We bought all the provisions for the Canastas de Víveres (baskets of provisions) there.

Another day we went to the mercado in Zona 3 to buy all the disposable supplies, plates, cups, etc. We also bought childrens gifts, wrapping paper etc.

Some of the provisions for the canastas

 This year one thing that has helped some is that we are giving more responsibility to some of our older youth that have been helping for several years.One is in charge of the drama, another in charge of decorations etc.

It helps me out a lot, and gives them a lot more sense of really contributing something.

And they are doing great! We've had them helping in some way many days each week!

Wrapping gifts for kids

 Yesterday we had an all day activity at our house to wrap gifts and to make the canastas.

We were planning to make 70 canastas and they take a lot of work each to put together. There are 12 items in each basket, and several of them, i.e. frijoles, oatmeal, rice, pasta, were purchased in bulk, and first had to be packaged into 1 lb. bags.

Making 1 lb bags of frijoles

Then we set up an assembly line snaking through most of the house! A few people would carry baskets by stations where another person would add items to the basket!

It is lots of fun, and lots of work for 70 baskets!

After 70 baskets were assembled, and scattered all over the house, we had a pizza lunch break and watched a movie!

Then it was time to wrap 70 canastas!

Making each canasta special and unique

We had sheets of celophane and lots of ribbon, and let the kids use their own style!

We literally had baskets and people scattered over most of the house, using any available space!

 

Using the hallways

Using the kitchen

Using the dining room

Using the living room

 We finished in the afternoon, and then spent time practicing Christmas carols to sing at Kairos House this week.

2011 Nochebuena servant team
(missing several members in this foto)

So we now have Canastas stacked up pretty much filling our dining room, but only for another week!

Please keep praying for God's blessing on this project, we are expecting around 300 people total between Casita Benjamin and Las Aldeas for Nochebuena.

This coming week, our daughter Felicita arrives, with a girlfriend from college, and her boyfriend James will arrive also! We will also take our group to Kairos to sing for the people, have another all day activity to make decorations and cookies. 

Then the big event!