Dec. 25th - Christmas party

The party got under way with all the kids, the staff, the Bergeron family, Dr Bernard and Claudette, a French couple that had come to pick up their New Life Link child, and the three interns. Basically, the party involved a long speech by Dr Bernard - I don't remember what it was about, but I do remember betting Duckhein about how long it was going to be and I won with a bet of 20 minutes - a song by Fabiola, a song literally forced out of the 3 interns (thank God Bryn can harmonize because otherwise, I don't think we would have been tolerable), a few prayers, and then a large meal. There was rice and beans, sauce, chicken, fish for the special guests only, beet/potato/macaroni salad, fried plaintains, soda, cole slaw, and cake. I loaded my plate with much more food than I could ever eat and then shoveled the excess onto the kids' plates around me. When they were finished with their servings, they sent me back up to get more for them since no one will tell me I can't have seconds or thirds or fourths or fifteenths. I had to squeeze past the French couple every time I went up to get more food and I really would love to know what they were thinking about the white girl that was so hungry.

Wislandie

Kattia read the story of Jesus' birth

Benjamin Bergeron, the oldest of the Bergeron boys, had raised money with his Eagle Scout troop to buy all the kids new church shoes. So after the meal, each kid received a box with new shoes. It was a cute little ritual: one of the girls would hand Dr Bernard a box, he would pass it on to Stephanie, who would read the name into the microphone, everyone would yell "Merry Christmas!" and then another girl would give the gift to the child in question.