PLAYING PEEK-A-BOO WITH A 60 YEAR OLD

Eleas seems to take to me.

Today when I walked into the small house, Eleas was hiding behind the table so he could scare me! I did the pretend thing and he was happy, ducking again behind the table!

Every birthday Eleas ages ten years and he's had six birthdays so far. Physically he is now over sixty years old and soon to die. Stroke or heart-attack; he's an old man. They give him about two months more.

Unique? Eleas is actually one in billions!

Yes, Eleas and his family attend church each Sunday.

Today we brought him his Christmas present; a small battery powered plastic race car, with a roaring sound and a quick get-away! Just what he liked. Running around the room chasing the car with his high squeaky voice.

Indeed they love their little old man and covet the six years he's been with them.

What a privilege to be Santa to this little old man!

Peek-a-boo Eleas!

DANIEL WASN'T AT THE PARTY

Everyone was at the orphanage enjoying their late Christmas Eve dinner and gifts. Kids talking, and laughing. Turkey dinner with all the trimmings, and a bunch of gifts to follow ... you can't beat that!

Daniel, thirteen, was the exception. It was obvious he didn't want to be there. During the singing he stared into space. He passed on the meal as he sat at the table, one hand holding his head looking down at the table.

A teen-age self-pity party? Maybe.

Daniel's mother was never in the picture but he has a father; it was his father that angrily placed him in the orphanage.

He mixes well with the other kids and is doing well in school.

However, almost a year has gone by and Daniel has never heard from his father.

He keeps hoping.

It wasn't hard to figure out what was going on in his world. Angry, frustrated, hurt, disappointed.

Joy to the world?

There was anything but joy in Daniel's world.

As I looked at him leaning on the table, I was reminded that; indeed life isn't fair ... even on Christmas eve. Daniel deserved better.

I'll talk to him later, when his anger simmers down.

CHRISTMAS DREAMS

Maria is looking at her first Christmas tree. She and her family are "dirt" poor. A bright little Walmart Christmas tree with mini-lights brought big smiles to Maria's mother, brothers and sisters. Just a dazzling little tree, sitting on the table lighting up the stark, cold room. No Christmas tree decorations and no gifts under the tree ... just the tree and kids; and happy dreams.

Yes I know the tree celebration and December has pagan roots. I know that Christmas and the Holidays are a secular bonanza. The small child in the manger scene below the tree has become plastic. Jesus has been squeezed out of His own Birthday. (I wonder if Jesus wanted us to celebrate His Birthday why He didn't give us the dates? ... I'm an Easter man myself!)

Having said that; I know, to a child, the Christmas tree has an entirely different meaning. The colorful tree simply frames a happy fantasy. Dreams. Dreams of what could be. Happy time. Mysterious gifts.

Down the muddy road, a short distance, is where the Gonzalo family lives.

Luis was hit by a car. Major injuries and in a coma for three months. He's now crippled and unable to support his family of six. Mom sells little candies at the school. The family's one room house rests on a shelf of dirt dug from the side of a canyon. Several beds; dirt floor. Cardboard and plastic roof. It was hard to find a place to set their Christmas tree. Electricity comes from a long lamp cord connected to a power line on the road above.

Merry Christmas? Not quite.

Happy New Year? ... we hope so. (Please pray for that little family)

The kids were so happy with their bright sparkling little tree.

We climbed back up to the road. Climbing a long line of tire stairs ... leaving the family with money for food and some candies. (We'll bring them some blankets and gifts tomorrow.)

This season there are dreams of what could be. However in too many cases there are dreams of what ... could have been.

If people only knew.

Luis's girl looks at the tree through their door.

AWAY FROM THE MANGER A CRIB WAS HIS BED

In Tijuana this time of year, almost everyone, rich or poor even very poor will have a Nativity Scene. Large ones, small ones; most indoors and a few outdoors.

I was looking at a large outdoor manger scene last week; just checking it out. The whole crew was there, but baby Jesus was missing; nowhere to be found.

I looked all over for baby Jesus.

Mary and Joseph were looking intently at where Jesus would have been ... and should have been. The three wise men were extending their gifts to Him but He, little Jesus, just wasn't there.

Lights on, everyone on stage but the star of the whole thing was missing.

It was an unusual sight; a complete display without its purpose.

A Nativity Scene with it's purpose missing. A Church with it's purpose missing. A Christian America with it's purpose missing. A world with it's purpose missing.

Indeed a disoriented people haven't found who's missing.

I wonder how long ago Jesus left Christmas ... even more interesting, how long has it been since we Christians have discovered Jesus was missing from His own Birthday party?

Ho! Ho! Ho! Good old secular Santa in his red suit covers the world with his gifts, different sizes and shapes ... however, Santa himself is missing the greatest gift of all; God's Gift that keeps on giving!

OLD DOGS AND NEW TRICKS?

Can we teach the old dog new tricks? don't think so ... have you ever studied an old dog? He just lays there, muzzle on the ground staring into space. On occasion he may wag his tail if he has the energy. The old dog's been everywhere heard everything, seen everything and done everything that a dog can do.

Now he's old; a faithful dog, but an old dog. Good old Rover.

The old boy has sniffed and re-sniffed every smell; he's pee-ed and re-pee-ed on any and all vertical objects in his canine world; of course fathered tons of puppies ... but now that's all a faded memory.

Yep, he had tons of romances when he had his balls; now they hang as useless decorations.

He's old.

Cats no longer interest him.

He's even forgotten where he hid his bones. Soon he'll forget what bones were.

There's a quiet, canine moment when a "been there and done that" fatigue falls upon him.

However if you want to drive the old boy nuts, bring an energetic bouncing little puppy into the picture! A nutty puppy that wants to have some fun with the old fur-bag.

With this old dog, I think we can conclude zero interest ... in learning new tricks.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF KID

Because I have worked in Mexico and South America for so many years, the unusual is no longer unusual. The other day I was thinking of the Mexican work ethic. The Tijuana kid's view of physical labor is totally different than our U.S. kid's work ethic. Kids here grow up learning to work. Work and chores are part of their life; starting at the age of ... very young.

If you don't work, you don't eat; it's as simple as that!

Whatever our job is, it seems there are always kids willing to help. Many know just what to do with-out asking ... they just pitch right in and do it ... even if it's cleaning up vomit or a diarrhea mess. They're cool.

The other day we were jostling up the long and winding dirt road to the Ijido area. It's a punishing ride for both the vehicle and the passengers.

The road is a collection of impressive pot-holes with a little bit of road around them.

So often, on the dirt roads of Tijuana, we will see kids with shovels working to fill in the potholes, and hoping, as you pass by, that you might give them a tip or cola for their effort.

Young independent business men trying their best to scrape up a little cash for the day.

"We haven't any money today ... what'll we do?"

Work! (What a novel idea!)

This time I thought to bring up my camera and snap a photograph of this young worker.

Yep, he got a tip!

This was one happy "road-worker!"