Christmas is coming.  Children in Canada are starting to look forward to the special, fun, family time of Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Not so for my children in Haiti.

Our children are all well. Our school is running nicely, thanks to my assistant and partner there, Luckner. They, however, along with our employees, including our numerous teachers, all live daily like prisoners. They go quickly, in groups if possible, from home to work, home to school,  and return. There is no freedom!

This morning my heart is heavy for my children in Haiti who are not looking forward to Christmas. The children who live in our Children’s Home at our HATS-Haiti Mission all want a certain something for Christmas – they want their Mama Karen to come home.

Due, however, to all the insecurity, the danger from kidnapping gangs, the ‘Level 4 Travel Advisory – Do not Travel to Haiti’, etc, etc. their Mama Karen is unable to be with them. My heart’s desire is to take Luc and go be with them at Christmas, to spend valuable time with them, to go with gifts for all 21 children, to have a very special Christmas dinner and fun time together.

This is impossible, so I want to be able to send funds down for my assistant, Luckner, to be able to purchase something for all of them, (likely new needed clothing), and supplies for a special Christmas dinner. I also would like to be able to provide a special Christmas dinner at school for our approx 400 students.

When times were better in Haiti my daughter, Liette, (often with a team) would join me there late November, bringing Christmas gifts, and stocking stuffers donated by Canadians for Mama Karen to prepare for Christmas day for all our children. Every year we tried also to give all our students, at our school, IMKH, a Christmas Dinner as well.

Thank you to the two people who have recently reached out asking if I plan to do something for the children this year, as you are willing to help. This was the motivation I needed as reaching out to ask for any kind of help is extremely difficult for me.

If any of you are willing to donate a little to help us do something for our kids at the mission, and at the school, for Christmas, it will be greatly appreciated. Funds can be sent to me (hats.haiti@gmail.com) or directly to our bookkeeper, Dickie MacDonald, in NS. (hatsa.yarmouth@gmail.com). Please designate funds to Christmas for children at HATS-Haiti. The funds will be sent to our bank in Haiti to be used for this purpose.