Christmas in June.

Last week, the volunteers and I were playing some kickball out in the yard, when 5 huge boxes arrived- all addressed to me. They were sent by my Aunt Ann, my parents and my sister. (My family mentioned that they were planning to send some things my way for the kids, but the magnitude of the gifts was mind boggling.) These boxes were filled with school supplies, jump ropes, barrettes, shoes, clothes, bubbles, sunglasses, I could go on and on. The volunteers were opening the boxes with such enthusiasm you would have thought they were gifts for us to keep. We all mentioned later that these were honestly the greatest gifts we had ever received. Knowing these precious children and their deep needs makes giving to them easy and a lot of fun.

We were able to assess the kids' clothing needs a bit today as we walked them from their village to school. There were several children without shoes, underwear, socks, and clothes that do not fit well. So, as we saw fit, we would take them by the hand, walk them to the supply closet and dress them with their new clothes. The children were thrilled by even a pair of Scooby Doo underwear. One little boy lifted his shirt for the rest of the afternoon to show his friends his new drawers!

THANK YOU Ann, Mom, Dad and Elizabeth for giving us the beautiful opportunity to deliver the gifts. The looks on the children's faces were worth every penny it took to bring me here.

Some of the volunteers after opening our gifts for the kids!

One of the boys who got new shoes wore these to shoe. The soles were flopping each time he picked up his foot. He was very happy with his new "kicks"!

This little guy was walking toward school without any shoes on. It rained all night, so he was walking through puddles, weeds, piles of trash, etc. I picked him up, carried him to school and he was the first recipient of new shoes and underwear.
(He was the one who lifted his shirt to show off his "Cars" underwear! He was very proud!)

This precious girl was wearing shoes that were way too small for her feet. They were white patent leather Mary Jane- type shoes, so she had worn down the backs of the shoes and wore them as mules. That sureley was uncomfortable. When I put these new sandals on her feet, her smile was huge and her hand immediately cupped her mouth in surprise. When I told her that she could keep them she was elated. It was a moment of pure thankfulness. I can learn a lot from this little girl.

This little one was wearing sneakers that were really dirty and old. When I put some new socks on his feet and a pair of underwear...he immediately smiled and gave me an unsolicited thumbs-up! It was precious.