There are a few details from the Christmas season that I have not had the chance mention yet, but I wanted to share them anyways. Although, I being 25 years old have not had the chance to be in a Christmas program for many years, my "dream" of being a wise man in the Christmas story finally came true this Christmas! About five minutes before the start of the program I was given a job and told to follow Maria, a wonderful volunteer from Denmark, out on stage because I was needed as a wise man. It consisted of me following Maria on stage, following her off stage and repeating this parade three times, oh how I love Thailand! We are pictured to the left in out seriously awesome handmade costumes. The program was beyond precious. The kids and staff have been workin
g hard for months preparing for the big day. There was dancing, singing and of course, the play. Before the show the kids were served a beautiful Christmas meal and then after the show they were all showered with gifts from supporters of the Garden of Hope... one of my favorite things about this organization is how direct the support is in getting to those that need it. My major contribution to the show was in the form of angel wings... 13 sets to be exact, all handmade! The kids looked so great singing "angels we have heard on high" (in Thai of course) with their shiny new wings. One of the things preparing for the Christmas program taught me was the importance of being "fussed" over in relation to child development. Kids need to feel cared about, simple as that. Our kids don't always have the luxury of feeling this way in their home life. When their parents are out breaking their backs to put food on the table, doing all they can with a 3rd grade education and a food cart, their children don't always experience the feeling of being worried over or fussed over on a special day. Their parents do not have time to make angel wings, and I am sure many of you could relate to that. So, this year, it was my blessing to fuss and stress about my 13 little angels, and trust me they looked good! This New Year I was able to spend with some me very dear friends, the Drabkins and their wonderful traveling companions. Jules and Joanie were on holiday visiting Jules' brother who lives in Chiang Mai and I got to spend some time with them while they were here. I can't tell you how nice it was to see even more friend from home. I had just seen Meghan the week before and seeing the Drabkins was a continuation of the taste from home, which I was sothankful for especially during the holidays. They were very keen to see what my life here was like and we were able to do just that the Sunday they were here.
A group of us went to the Garden of Hope guesthouse to check out our program there, then we headed to Brianna's House of Joy to make bracelets
with the girls there. David, one of the Drabkin's close friends took his beautiful violin out and played some songs for the girls, which was so fun, and then we got to work on the bracelets. They loved making them and as always were so creative with the supplies we brought! The girls are truly a joy to be around and
I am so blessed by them every time. Something so simple as plastic beads and elastic make for a beautiful gift and some great memories. Everyone really enjoyed the orphanage and I hope to be back there
soon. Later that day I took everyone to my favorite Sunday night market and then to dinner at a friends restaurant. A very local place, run by an amazing Thai woman who is one of my best friends here, Wee. She cooks some of the best food around and the best prices, we enjoyed a really nice meal, Thanks P'Wee!
In most other countries they celebrate Kid's Day, much like mother or father's day, kid's day is where you simply celebrate kids! My friends and I think that kids day gives you permission to act like a kid for the day, not that we need the excuse but nonetheless it's a great holiday. I wanted to do something special for the kids at the garden so I asked the staff what we should do. Ning, the head of the
Children's Program, suggested that we buy the kids something nice to wear for church and other special events. Most of the kids do not have new clothes and definitely not "nice" clothes. Looking clean and polished is very important in Thai society, Thai people are remarkably clean and appearance is everything. Our kids would benefit greatly from the new clothes and the sense of pride they could take in themselves in knowing they had a new outfit to wear So, Dtom, another Thai staff member, and I went off to the market to shop for our 32
kids! We found really cute outfits for the little girls (3-9yrs) and the boys (4-11yrs). We presented the gifts to the kid's last Friday and had a blast doing it. I felt a bit like Santa Claus, and now I understand why he is so jolly, giving so freely like that fills you up in the most beautiful ways. The kids, did not expect any presents that day, so when they opened their gifts they were immediately and ridiculously excited. Once everyone had their gift they all started helping each other try on their new clothes, the joy was incredible. That day we did not give presents to the older girls because as we started to look for clothes for 9 teenage girls, I quickly realized the task was way to difficult. Picking out clothes for teenage girls and them actually liking what we choose would be a miracle in and of itself. So instead of buying clothes for
them, I decided to have a shopping day with 9 teenage Thai girls, so they could have the liberty to pick and choose the clothes they like! They picked styles of dresses and shirts I would have never chosen, so I am really glad we were able to take them shopping! While we were there, Maria, Sara (two other volunteers) and I wondered if it was the first time for some of the girls to have their own money to go shopping with. No guilt, no sense of responsibility to spend the money on their families, but simply to buy something pretty for themselves... At first some of the girls looked a little uncomfortable, but in the end they all found something they really liked and proudly walked home with their shopping bags.
As always none of these stories would be possible without your love and support. As we gave the bracelets and clothes out to the children, we told them that far away there are people who care and want the best for them. Thank you for being to generous, your love is making a difference. Blessings and peace.
