Dyeing Easter Eggs... the brown ones!

In Bolivia, Easter is just another day in the evangelical Christian community.  Maybe the pastor will preach on the resurrection or you'll see chocolate Easter eggs in the supermarket.  Otherwise, the day practically goes by unnoticed.  This year, I decided to be intentional in my celebration of Easter.  I picked a special Easter song set-list for Sunday and tried to teach the congregation to say "He is risen!" and respond with "He is risen, indeed!" (¡Ha recucitado! ¡Ha recucitado, amén!).  No one seemed to get what the fuss was all about.

Jhon

About a week after Easter, the neighbor kids came over so we could decorate Easter eggs.   The only trick... almost all the eggs in Bolivia are brown!  I sat the kids down and asked them about the Easter story, filling in the gaps they had.  We talked about how Jesus brings us new life and how the eggs represent new life.

Liz

When I shared about Jesus dying on the cross, I asked if they knew who Jesus died for.  They looked at each other, a little unsure, until Mayra spoke up.  "¿Para nosotros?- For us?" she asked.  I looked each little one in the eyes and said "He died for Jhon, for Mayra, for Liz, María, and for Jhonny."  Each squirmed a little under my gaze, but looked secretly moved by the thought of God's Son dying for them by name.

 Maria

Mayra

 Jhonny

The kiddos loved watching the eggs slowly turn color in the dye and each kid proudly showed off the eggs they decorated to the others, once we took them out to dry.  Jhonny, the littlest, tried to peel his egg and eat it before it was dyed, but the others took home brightly colored reminders of Christ's love for them, and the new life we can have in Him.

I was reminded of what a powerful truth Christ's death and resurrection is.  It's a reality that I certainly don't live out each day, living as a new creation, that the old has gone and the new has come.  I find myself day in and day out living in the old self, forgetting the power that I have in Christ to be new every morning, and to live as a child so deeply loved by Him that He would offer His life up for mine.