The staff and volunteers here at Love & Hope must not be the only ones who think our children are irresistable. Over the last two weeks, we have been blessed by several groups who wanted to celebrate Christmas with the kids. These parties and visits have included everything from clowns, swimming and piñatas, to manicures, dancing and Christmas cookies. The children also recieved early Christmas presents, some specifically picked out just for them!
One of the groups that visited wanted to have a party with 50 children. Since we only have about 27 kids, we were priviledged to be able to invite children from the Platanillo community to our house in Los Planes de Renderos one Saturday. The missionaries and children at Love & Hope visit Platanillo every week to teach and Sunday school and English class. When we got to Platanillo to pick them up, all of the children were bubbling over with excitement, dressed in their best and ready to go. Every single child in attendance at the party recieved lunch and a gift, and it was a great blessing to see how much the children from Platanillo treasured what they recieved. The older Love & Hope kids helped take care of the littlest visitors, and after the party all 50 kids had fun watching a movie, playing games and running around the house together.
It has been fun to celebrate the birth of Jesus with so many old and new friends that have come to visit. To thank all of these wonderful people, Mandy worked hard with the kids to make Christmas cards. Then we visited a few of the people and businesses that have been so giving towards us.
Thank you to all of the groups who made this such a special Christmas for us at Love & Hope Children's Home. We feel blessed by your support and presence. We send the love of our Savior right back to you. Feliz Navidad!