The Holiday Team!

The Holiday Team is always a special team because they come during a special time of the year, the kids are on vacation so there is more down time to play, and there is usually a fair number of returning team members that come mixed in with a few newbies. This makes it feel like it is family coming home to spend Christmas with us!  This year was no exception.  It was a good team and also very big, with 24 team members in total.  Their comings and goings varied so there were many, many trips to the airport.  I told my staff that if at any point during the team they couldn't fine me, I was probably at the airport!  The team helped us hand out presents and pour out lots of love and attention to many of the kids we work with.  We also were able to had out gifts to 2 orphanages that we don't work in full time, but do special projects with when possible.  One of them, is an orphanage with kids with severe special needs, and though an emotionally challenging place, everyone leaves feeling that they were blessed as well. 

 At the airport welcoming team members.

 Training time!  The first morning orientation and planning.

 Handing out gifts is always a lot of fun.  I don't know who is more excited to look through the bags the kids or the team members, but doing it together makes it more fun!

 Craft Time!

 Game Time!

 Our annul New Year's Party was another success.  Jenny and I are ready for 2014!

Another way we try to share Christ's love is also to bless the directors and workers from the State that work at the orphanages that we work in.  This year we baked goody trays to take in and Starbucks donated free coffee for us to take in as well.  The team also had some special treats for the orphanage staff like chocolates and aprons for the cooks.  We hope that they felt the love of Christ through us as well.  We believe if we can love the staff they will be more willing to love the kids. 

Thank you Holiday Team of 2013-2014!  Thanks for all of your time, sacrifice, gifts, hugs, bruises (from soccer!), ministry materials, and every way that you showed the love of Christ to our kids, to the H2H staff and to each other.  Thanks as well to each of you that prayed for this team and financially gave to make this Christmas extra special!

The Boys

I had the priviledge to host the five boys that are currently in the Boys Transition Program here at the team house during the first week of Christmas vacation. This is an occasion that is always full of those moments where I'm reminded how much "normal" life our kids miss out on growing up in the orphanage. 
When they arrived we had the tree up and presents under the tree, and I expected them to be curious and go check out who the presents were for.  They didn't.  Even when prompted, there wasn't much of an interest.  I was reminded that if you've never had a present under the tree before, you wouldn't know what to be excited for.  To be the one of the ones that got to shop, pick out gifts, wrap presents, fill stockings, all to provide a family Christmas for these boys was my Christmas present this year.  By Christmas morning the excitement had heightened, but we did have to explain what they were supposed to do with a stocking.  It was a very fun day!

 In a special addition to the day, we were joined by Grant and Riley from Nevada.  Grant was able to obtain a large donation from Patagonia of clothing and some backpacks for H2H.  This donation was put on our shipping container and Grant and Riley were with us Christmas morning to see the boys unwrap some of those items.  Do you want to guess how many backpacks were in this donation that was made months before we started this generation of boys?  Exactly 5--the number of boys in the program.  I'm so glad that God has all of the details in His large, capable, hands!

We tried to do something special each day of the vacation with the boys.  One day we went to look at the Christmas lights in the city.

We also went Christmas caroling.  My favorite part of the evening was seeing Florin, the young man that I would have pegged as the least likely to get into caroling, singing with all of his heart and a huge smile on his face.

 They also got to go ice skating, to a movie, participated with the church Christmas program, played soccer with the kids at Peris and visited the baby hospital.  The hospital was another surprise for me. The boys insisted that they got to go and visit the babies, and they were amazing with them!  Not only did it show us a soft side of all of the guys, but it led to an amazing discussion of why parents abandon their children and the importance of forgiveness. 

When the team arrived, we moved the boys out of the team house to the Snagov house.  They slept there, but participated in the daily events of the team.  They went daily to the orphanages and helped hand out Christmas presents.  It was a great experience for them to see other orphanages and to see that there are so many children with needs and problems out there.  It was so fun to watch them connect and pass on love! 

On their last evening with the team, we put them on the hot seat and let them share highlights of their experiences.  All of them expressed gratitude for the time.  Florin said it helped increase his faith.  Vasile said that he understood now what it meant to have a family Christmas.