Getting Ready for Christmas – 2009
We have woken up to this scene several times in the last few weeks which gives us hope that maybe, just maybe, we will wake up to a White Christmas this year. It hasn’t happened too often since we have been in China but being people from South Texas where snow is scarce, it is something we always hope for and we get really excited on those rare occasions when it does happen!
With there being just eight days before Christmas everyone is getting excited and ready for the great day. The small children as well as the larger children are preparing little programs to present at our Christmas Eve ‘Get-together’.
The kitchen staff is preparing for the special Christmas dinner (Chinese Style.. No turkey intended!
The Rec-Room which is normally used as a study hall in the evenings and a play room during the day and off-study periods, is now locked and off limits except to those children and staff doing the decorating. We have transferred our study hall location to the dining hall during this time and it works quite well once the evening supper is eaten and the dishes are cleared away.
As more wrapped gifts show up under the tree the children do everything they can to sneak a peek in the door when someone goes in and out…. typical to children everywhere! We can’t say what the gifts are that are being wrapped because many of our children browse our website on a frequent basis. We will post the outcome after Christmas.
The children in the Home of Hope Kindergarten and Primary School are making Christmas related decorations to hang EVERYWHERE! In the above picture are Rose Xiong Ai, Mosie Xiong En, Autumn Xiong Duo and Ruthie Xiong Shan, showing off the Christmas Stocking decorations they made themselves. In reading the story below, which does not have such a happy outcome, remember that each one of the four children you see above were abandoned children who, thanks to you and all who support the Home of Hope organization, have a great future before them!
Of course, having Christmas for fifty-two children, staff and Home of Hope alumni (those children who have grown up and are now on their own, but who “come home” for Christmas each year, does have it’s extra expenses. If you would like to contribute toward this you can do so by going to our “Donate Now” page.
During all this excitement and hustle and bustle of preparations we were brought back to the reality of why we are here (as is usually what happens).
Yesterday afternoon we were visited by this lady and her husband along with their baby. They wanted us to take their baby and raise it since they simply can’t’ take care of it nor, after almost a year, do they any longer have the will to try. Their basic statement was either we take the baby or they were going to abandon it.
The little girl is almost one year old and has a medical condition that makes it impossible for us to take her in here at the Home of Hope.
This whole situation made us very sad and at the same time made us realize how fortunate all of us are at the Home of Hope and how no matter how much we do to help, it is never enough. There are always people out there who have reached the end of their rope…. have no hope for the future… not even for tomorrow. These realities cause us deep reflection on how fortunate we are to be able to celebrate the meaning of Christmas and how we must continue to reach out to help those we can, no matter how difficult it is or how tired we become.
The day after the episode above, the kindergarten children came over to see us during their recess. Little Rose Xiong Ai (she is on the left in the group picture above) handed us a note with writing on both sides. (See the pictures of the note below – top is the front side and the bottom is the back side.) As she shyly handed it to us, we asked her if she had done this all by herself. She nodded in affirmation. After reading the note the question had to be asked again due to the content. After all, Rose is just barely six years old.
She again confirmed that she had done it all by herself and then her kindergarten mates chimed in and confirmed it as well.
The translation is under each page.
Ye Ye, (Grandpa Nathan) I want to say something to you.
You work so hard. Everyday you are so busy you can’t rest. You are so busy yet you find time to take Xiong Duo (Autumn) and Xiong En (Mosie) to ZhengZhou to see the dentist. Also, every day you make us happy.
I hope you to be joyful. I hope you to be happy. I am making ready a gift for you. I love you very much.
You take care of so many Home of Hope children by working so hard.
It is things like this that simply make our hearts sing and bring focus to what we are doing here. (The picture at the left is of Rose Xiong Ai shortly after she was abandoned at our gate, June 12, 2003 – almost 7 years ago)
Of course we get tired and there are times when we get discouraged and even wonder if what we are doing is having an impact on the children at all. Then something like this takes place and we realize that in fact… it is!
We will update this with more Christmas pictures as the Season progresses. Merry Christmas
Posted: December 17th, 2009 under Abandoned Babies, Christmas, Uncategorized.