After being in Cebu for the past two Christmases I realize these treasured memories are ones that most children around the world do not have. Lists to Santa arent' made and decorating the Christmas tree as a family while Dad plays "Tennessee Christmas" on the record player is unheard of. Here Christmas is just another day as most families struggle just to put food on the table. If you can't put food on the table then how can you put presents under the tree?
Over the past two years working with Hope for Tomorrow and living in Cebu, God has taught me many special lessons. One of those lessons centers around Christmas. He's reminded me again and again Christmas day is about the celebration of His Son's birth. Many times we get so caught up in the traditions and presents we forget the one BIG GIFT we truly are celebrating. It's because of this Gift that we are called to share our gifts and blessings with others. He's reminded me of the passage found in Luke 12:48 where he tells us "From the one that has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." God has definitely entrusted me with much! I don't know why I was chosen to be born in a blessed country and given the opportunity to have such a great job...but I was! And since I was it's time for me to give back...especially this Christmas season!
This Christmas Gepher and I wanted Christmas to be extra special for the children. I wanted to share a piece of the Christmas magic with them (which I loved as a child) and build memories that would last a life time. For one afternoon I wanted these special children to be kids. I didn't want them worrying about carrying water from the nearby well or doing the laundry or looking after their younger siblings. I wanted them to be children and experience Christmas as I remember Christmas being like as a child. I wanted to remind them about the BIG GIFT (Jesus) we are celebrating as well as let them know they are special and loved.
The children love coming to our house! (Wouldn't you if the place you called home was made of a thatched/tin metal roof with a dirt floor and walls made of bamboo mats?) The children have been begging to come to our house but with the busyness of the season we just haven't had the chance. That desire made us realize that the house was the perfect place to have a magical Christmas party!
Because our children spend their days doing chores (we'd consider the jobs of adults) and looking after their younger siblings (even though they are only 8 or 9) so the parents can go out to find food or money, we wanted this party to bring out the kid in each of these special children. A Christmas party wouldn't be a party without fun Christmas themed relay games! The children loved the Snowball Relay and the Candy Cane Relay...but the game that was the biggest hit of the day was Santa's Beard Relay. In this game the children slathered their face in Vaseline and ran to dip their chin in a bowl full of cotton to make their very own Santa Beard. The sights of the "Santa Clause" caused the children to erupt in laughter throughout the backyard! Some of the children definitely looked more like a "Monster Clause" but either way the children had fun!!
What's a party without food (and a movie)?!? In the Philippines you cannot enjoy a good Drive-In movie...but at the Lopina house you can enjoy a fun "Sit-In" Movie! Thanks to a perfect concrete fence in our backyard and a projector the Lopina Movie Theatre showed "Brave" while the children enjoyed a perfect snack (since it didn't include rice it wasn't a meal). This was the first time the children had ever watched a movie outside on a big screen.
Christmas is about giving. God gave us the best gift ever in Jesus! We have an opportunity at Christmas to give gifts to those we love to let them know they are loved and special. These are exactly the gifts Hope for Tomorrow was blessed with this year to give our kids at Christmas.
The kids at Lebanon Road Church of Christ made each child a special tote bag, bookmark, and letters written to them. Gepher and I have been focused this year on bringing the children (and their families) closer to Jesus. In an effort to continue this while the children are at home Kuya and Ate had each child a Bible that was written on their reading level. As each child's name was called to get their bag filled with special gifts there were cheers across the yard. The children felt a level of love to know that children they will never meet cared enough about them to send them something they made! WOW...that's what Christmas is all about...sharing Jesus. As I watched the children carefully examine their bags and letters it reminded me of the passage in Matthew 25:40 where Jesus tells us "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers you did for me." Thank you Lebanon Road for "doing for the least of these".
Kuya and Ate had one final surprise for the children. We had a special "Santa Clause" purchase a toy for each child. Toys are treasured possessions for our kids! Most of our children do not have toys to play with. Instead they turn their slippers (flip flops) or rubber bands or sticks into toys. Each child was given a number. When their number was called they were allowed to choose any wrapped present from the boy or girl pile they liked. As the paper was ripped off of the gifts...the air erupted in squeals of delight. This was the magic of Christmas I wanted these children to experience!!
Smiles were plastered over everyone's faces (even the adults)! Immediately toys came out of their boxes. Little boys began racing their remote control cars all across the yard. Helicopters invaded my back porch and robots marched across the grass. Barbie dolls were admired for a while in their box as not to mess them up but eventually were carefully pulled from their boxes! The air in the backyard was electric as everyone enjoyed the "Christmas morning joys" of the new special gift!
Although I didn't get to spend this Christmas with my biological family...I did get to spend this Christmas with my "adopted family". The smiles, squeals, and joy on the faces of our "adopted children" are images that will not be erased from my mind. Seeing them experience the magic of Christmas I have enjoyed for 20+ years was priceless. For a moment these children were just kids. Kids that are loved by our Savior and kids that are loved by you from across the globe. The children on this special afternoon felt loved and special...just the way kids are suppose to feel.
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