Our Best Christmas Yet!

We watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas every Christmas Eve at the Hope House. It has become a tradition; I was thinking about traditions this year and had one of those “Ah Ha” moments. How incredible that I get to be the one to start some of these fun Christmas time traditions with the kids. I picture Michelove or Stevenson all grown up watching the Grinch with their kids telling them, “When I lived in the orphanage we watched this movie every Christmas Eve.” Of course I like to imagine they would continue with something along the lines of, “Growing up at the orphanage was a great blessing. We would not be where we are today if God has not intervened and brought me to that orphanage so many years ago.”



Christmas is kind of a big deal at the Hope House. The kids talk about the party year round. They start right away on December 26th with their questions; What are we going to do for Christmas next year? Are we going to get presents? Will we eat at the guest house? Will we sleep in the old Hope House building?



This year our party was by far the best party we have ever thrown. We do a talent show each year and this year the kids really kicked it up a notch. A group of our boys have been taking music lessons and they played a few songs for us, playing the keyboard, drums, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones and guitar!! We also had a choir of kids sing led by Elisson, one of the older boys, which was AMAZING! We also had a big surprise; the kids had no idea but I was able to bring in The Preachers, a Christian Haitian rap group that is quite popular. The kids had no idea they were coming. It was like the Backstreet Boys or Justin Beiber were on stage. The kids were jumping up and down, dancing around and screaming.



After the kids went to bed I brought all their gifts down to the kitchen. The kid’s gifts are the most stressful part of Christmas for me. It’s hard enough to make 62 gifts even but to pick out things that will make each child happy, when they are all so different, is a challenge but I was determined to enjoy Christmas instead of being overwhelmed by it and I did! I had so much fun buying their gifts this year and getting their bags ready. Christmas morning was so exciting. I was fairly confident the kids would all be happy and I was right! Especially Iverson. He made my day. This was his first Christmas at the Hope House (He and his brother Galaxon came in March after their mother passed away.). When he ripped open his bag his eyes lit up. Everything he picked up made him scream out a joyous, “WOY GADE!!!” which means, “Wow, look at this!”



We had a wonderful celebration and I hope you did as well. It was an extra special blessing to have Pierre home with us for Christmas and to be able to eat our Christmas dinner and open our gifts in “Maggie’s Kitchen.”



Thank you for your love and support. Together we are bringing hope to these children.



Peace, love and the Grinch!



Rachel

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