Sorry this is late but I have been having internet problems. Life has been extremely busy for us here in Haiti just as it usually is for our friends in North America at Christmas time.  HATS -Haiti has just experienced three parties, three days in a row.

On Tuesday, 23rd, we had a very busy day at the school.  We had a Christmas concert by the children, scheduled to be followed by the report cards being presented to the parents, to be topped off with a party which included a special Christmas meal for the students and the teachers. The students did a great job on their ‘parts’ for the concert.  Our teacher, Claudy, had organized it well.

Christmas concert

The youngest one in the concert

Then report cards were being presented by teachers with assistance from Luckner and David. Reports were given out for Preschool 1,  2,  3, Grade 1 and a start made on Grade 2 when Luckner called a halt to the whole thing.  The presenting of report cards was over.  They were put back into the school office for January.  I was so very proud of Luckner in the way he handled it.  I would have done the same thing but I might have had too much to say as well.  The parents were extremely noisy and disrespectful.  They did not listen to a thing said – only to their own voices and that of their friends.  They were not listening to Luckner or the teachers, or allowing anyone else to hear what was going on.  So he called it.  Yay Luckner.  When it was too late many saw how they had behaved, but there was no going back.  Now they need to wait to know how their children did in the December exams.

Luckner & Claudy at front, about to start giving report cards with other teachers

Report cards being given before halt called

The church building was then emptied and locked.  Everyone moved to the school part of the compound where they listened to Christmas Carols on the sound system and milled around waiting for their Christmas dinner.  Luckner spent many hours in the hot, sweaty kitchen with the grade 9 and 10 students helping with the preparation and serving of the Christmas meal.

Although disappointed they did not have their children’s reports cards, most people who had come for the day seemed to enjoy themselves.

Listening to Christmas Carols and Waiting for a meal

On Wednesday, December 24th we had another party.  This time it was a birthday party for our Djemima who turned 12 on Christmas Eve.

Birthday girl – age 12

Yesterday, Christmas Day, we celebrated Jesus’ birthday.  This was another long, busy, but fun day for the children.  The older children and I started our day with a walk at 6:00 a.m. The children decorated our ‘Devotions Room’ themselves, after we returned home, by taking down some of the lights in the yard and putting them inside. They had their special Christmas meal at noon.

Early Christmas morning walk

Beauty on our Christmas morning walk

Christmas dinner

This was followed by them receiving their gifts.  This is our first time together of celebrating Jesus’ birthday on December 25th.  All other years our celebration has been done Haitian style on Dec. 24th.  The children were thrilled about their gifts and we all want to say THANK YOU for all the tremendous help that came from Canada.  May God bless each and every one of you who remembered us in any way.  We love you!  We appreciate you!

Thank you Canada for our Christmas gifts

Littlest goes first. Which one of these is for me Mama

Jonathan

Anne

I finish my blogs with this –   IT IS  ALL  ABOUT  THE  CHILDREN.

As far as the work of the mission goes it is thus and I hope it stays this way.

The children and employees, however, and most of you who are involved with this mission, know that –

IT  IS  ALL  ABOUT  JESUS  FIRST  – FOLLOWED  BY  ALL  ABOUT  THE  CHILDREN.

Without Jesus’ birthday to celebrate again right now we would not be here with the children.  Thank you God and thank you Jesus.  Thank you, too, to all our awesome supporters.   God bless you all.

~Karen