To see a slide show of the highlights visit our facebook page. Seventh time is the charm! Things went very smoothly this year. We made the most of the short time we had.
Sunday after church, we frosted cookies with the kids at the orphanage. I believe this is one of the highlights for the kids. We purposely separated it from the main party to spread out the food. The kids notoriously get sick after the party because of eating too much.
Monday was the big party with the kids at the Garden. We had stories, crafts, and games. Teri Dykhuis and Amy Nelson did a great job at keeping the kids busy. Right after lunch we continued the Christmas story with the wise men, which lead right into giving out the group gifts. Thanks to your generosity we were able to give them: A new TV, DVD player, Sponge Bob movies, a Piano Keyboard, and an acoustic guitar. Soon after, we distributed the individual gift bags. The older children each received a watch thanks to Amy Nelson’s facebook plea for watches. The younger ones received a Barbie doll for the girls and cars for the boys, in addition to miscellaneous items and snacks. To quote Gaethan “the kids were overjoyed with their gifts”.
Tuesday we had a separate party for the older kids that are no longer at the Garden. They are good at entertaining themselves, so we just enjoyed their company and watched them reunite as a family. I’m happy to say everyone was able to come with the exception of Sherlindeda who is now living in the Cap Haitian area. Many of them shared how grateful they are for the support of their sponsors. Our support means more to them than we can ever know.
Wednesday we were back at the Garden. It was so nice to spend that time with them and be there to see them enjoy their gifts.
We praise God for the postponement of the Election, for all the gifts making it without getting stolen or broken, and the overall smoothness of the trip. Most of all for the kids themselves who remind us that sharing Christ’s love is what Christmas is all about.
