At the orphanage...

This year we again decided to celebrate Christmas with the children in one of the orphanages that my friend Vez (children's physio) works at. Last year we did sports/games, this year it was time for crafts. When I heard from Vez that the kids did not have a Christmas tree I had the brilliant idea to make a big paper tree for the children, stick it on the wall and have them decorate it. On Sunday morning we loaded a box of gifts, the paper tree, soft drinks and lots of craft supplies into Vez's land rover, went to church and then continued on over the mountain to the East side of town. After a welcoming song by the kids, we sang some carols and then Vez explained/quizzed about the Christmas story and talked about how we can be close to God and can talk to Him. We then started on the big paper tree; making ornaments for it. Momoh was very excited to put the first ornament on the initially very bare Christmas tree...

The youngest in the orphanage, Binta, was thrilled to show off her very own ornament master piece! She was later the chosen one to glue the big yellow star onto the top of the tree, which also brought a big smile to her face.

We had a little trouble finding good spots for the last few ornaments, but I suppose there's always room for more. The children (and adults) loved decorating the tree with all sorts of items: twisted tissue paper glued onto the paper, feathers, stickers, glitter (known as "shine shine" in Krio), surgical peanuts (which we had to get rid of), etc. Lots of colors, lots of fun. Everyone pitched in and the orphanage now has a great tree. The younger children pose in front of their FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE.

After the BIG tree, it was time for the children to decorate their smaller personal trees. By now they knew exactly what to do...so off they went... The 'shine shine' was a big hit this time. And by the end the floor and most of us were covered with glitter!

Last but certainly not least, we went outside for a group picture, with all the children proudly displaying their own Christmas trees. What an amazing opportunity to share Christmas with others. Not only were we able to have a lot of fun with these kids, but we were also able to remind them of God's love, His gift to us, and His desire to be a part of our lives.