"Chocolatadas". It is a custom here in Peru, everywhere. Yet, in the lonely mountains where the Quechua folk live it is something very special. Especially for the hundreds of children who may or maynot receive even one gift for Christmas. This has been our treat each year to the mountain communities where we are ministering. This year we have been to two of the five communities. It is a great time to tell the story of the birth of Christ and what that means for each one of us.
The chocolatada consists of Hot Chocolate and a special bread that is sold this time of year called Panetone. It has raisins and dry fruit.
Now making hot chocolate may seem to be something very simple. Not so in the mountain villages. It requires boiling water over a wood fire. Boling water is a challenge at 12000 ft. above sea level. Yet alone keeping the fire going with the low oxygen level. Once the water is boiling we add several cans of canned milk and then sugar. Finally the bars of chocolate which has cinnamon and clove spices. In the past we have encountered one problem: trying to make sure all who came would be served. Many would come with their own pale or bucket instead of cups. We have learned to bring disposable cups. :)
Today was we had planned on having the chocolatada in a small mountain community called Ututupampa. Once we arrived we found that most all the folks where up in their fields working and the word had not been communicated. This is not a surprize but was a disappointment. So we replanned it with a two week notice. I will return the day before to remind thema again.
So we passed out the panetones we had with us on our way down the mountain as we meet folks along the way. We also visited our friends up in another community called Huaycor where we have not been able to get into due to the heavy rains. Today has been one of those special sunny days in the middle of a very heavy rainy season. We actually almost got stuck with our vehicle today. After a prayer and four wheel drive we slowly moved up the muddy mountain road. Going back down is a little tricky.

Warning signs? Just how much do you think you depend on them each day? I am not just talking about Medicine labels or the signs you see on buildings such as "Danger Mean Dog" or the safety cards in the airplane that no one ever pays attention to any more because they think they could respond automatically if there was a plane crash. I am referring to general road signs that you pass every day on the Highway. In the United States that is. Here in Peru as you may imagine, things are quite a bit different, especially when you take a side road, one that goes up to a mountain village. In fact the only road that goes in or out! If there is construction ahead, you may expect a sign indicating danger ahead. Or maybe a flag person indicating that you need to slow down or stop. Well, the speed is not an issue since you really can't go much faster than 15- 20 miles per hour on a straight away let alone a mountain pass. Here in the Andes villages, you will not find even a hint of what might be in,on or under the road ahead. It could be a herd of sheep, or cattle or a group of Quechua Indians on their way to or from the field with their plows and field tools in hand. It may even be another form of transportion headed toward you just around that blind curve you are going to take at 12 - 13,000 ft above sea level. In our case it could be a burro loaded with firewood used for cooking,or a sack of potatoes. It may even be a team of very large bulls ( they don't use oxen here) being driven by a little girl or boy to their final destination. Or a 2 ton logging truck coming down a steep mountain road toward you. The mountain roads are not built for two way traffic. The law of the land is that the one coming down the mountain is supposed to ease over to the edge of what could be a drop off hundreds of feet to let the other pass. This "law of the land" is ignored in many cases. When a large tractor trailer is headed your way with an enormous load of tree trunks or a bull dozer you don't want to think twice about whoes turn it is to get over. You just do it! Signs? Well,just plan on something new each day and be prepared to smile even if you don't feel like it.

I just posted a video of the Shepherds of Lesotho who live in Africa. I could not help notice the similarities of the shepherds of Lesotho and the Quechua mountain people. They live in very isolated areas. Although they can come to Huaraz to sell their crops and animals they ares still very much a culture of their own. There are no active churches in the high mountain villages. Many of the young people have accepted the lie that they have nothing to offer. There is very little work for them other than being shepherds or working in their family fields. This has caused many families to abandon their mountain homes to a certain extent. There is much that can be done. The video casts a vision in which I partly share. These people who have given up hope and lost their identity as Quechua to a great extent have so much to offer. Yet they have many challenges to face each day. Their challenges are much greater than food or money. I would say the greatest challenge they face is sustaining their community keeping their identity as Quechua and teaching their children. I believe that using the Scripture in their heart language can have a powerful impact on their lives. They need to know the one true God through His Son Jesus Christ.

Set Apart: shepherd boys of Lesotho from AIM On-Field Media on Vimeo.