Christmas at the Ravine

My family walked the Ravine with me on Friday morning. Lisette couldn't come with us and Mary is in Canada on vacation, so I did all the consultation by myself as well as all the record keeping. It was the most stressful Ravine walk I have ever taken. We saw over 35 children instead of the usual 15 or 20, and I was exhausted by the time we got back to Sherrie's.




My aunt in Maine worked with my cousin's 4th grade class to coordinate a donation of gifts and Christmas cards for the Gonaives orphans. Each child received a small gift bag with crayons, markers, candy, blocks, hair clips for the girls and toy cars and plastic bugs for the boys. Each girl got a mermaid doll; each boy got a notebook for coloring or writing letters, as well as some balls for all of them to share. My siblings blew up balloons for them, taught them to play football, and tried to explain what snow was. In addition, my aunt had sent underpants for each child, coloring books, beads, and extra art supplies. I gave those to the orphanage director with instructions to give them to the kids on New Year's Eve, just to spread out the celebration a little longer. The Gonaives kids really have nothing, so watching the excitement as they received their gifts was very moving for my family.











Thank you so much, Amy, Lily, Bea, and all your friends! You made Christmas very special for those 25 kids!