A Very Merry Haitian Christmas

Christmas this year was much different than all the other Christmas' in the past.  Everyone here at the orphanage was in the Christmas spirit.  Some of the volunteers that work in Tabarre came up for the weekend to spend Christmas in the mountains.  On Christmas Eve, Fr. Rick Frechette (the director of NPFS Haiti) came up to the orphanage and said mass.  After mass, we all went back to the retreat house for dinner and wine.  On Christmas morning, we all got up and had a really nice breakfast together.  They we exchanged some gifts among the volunteers.  On Christmas Day, I was invited to Kay Christine for a special Christmas celebration.  Kay Christine is home to our special needs children here at the orphanage.  There are about 30 children who live there and they all have a wide range of physical and mental disabilites.  Many are wheelchair bound and some can't even speak or communicate.  The staff of Kay Christine prepared a huge Christmas meal and the children helped to decorate the house for Christmas.  It was wonderful.  Kay Christine is unlike any other home here in the orphanage, in my opinion.  It people that live and work there truly are a family.  The children are so greatly loved and the joy is permeating throughout the home.  Christmas dinner was delicious!  Here's a few pics to give you an idea:

After dinner, Santa made an appearance!!  There is a little girl with Down Syndrome who lives in Kay Christine.  Her name is Rose Therlie and she is afraid of Santa.  Therefore, to help her get over her fears (and so she wouldn't have to see him), they dressed her up as Santa!!  Rose Therlie made the cutest Santa!  She went around and shook hands with everyone.  Then, when it was time for the gifts, she helped to pass them out to all of the kids.  Every child in Kay Christine got a present.  The kids were sooo delighted!  I really felt blessed to be a part of it!

 Santa Claus revealed....

Jenny LOVED her new shoes!!

Enjoying the party:

 As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, the whole orphanage has a talent competition the week leading up to Christmas.  The kids are so, so talented and they were so much fun to watch!  I think that Haitian children are born knowing how to dance...and sing!  They all have amazing talent.  The kids worked for weeks to perfect their performances.  The kids all dressed up in fancy outfits and costumes.  Each house prepared a performance.  The kids wrote their own song, choreographed their own dance moves, and some even did a little acting as well!  I was so impressed.  On Christmas night, they had the grand finale.  The top six houses competed for first place in front of a panel of judges.  The local television station was even there to film them!  How exciting for the kids!  I wish I would have videotaped it because they put on quite the show!

On Christmas night, we all gathered in the retreat house.  We had a champagne toast.  Then we all played spoons and cards.  It was a lot of fun!  It was a Very Merry Haitian Christmas!!