Christmas

The end of the year is always a busy time for Orphan Relief and Rescue. We ended 2011 with lots of Christmas festivities-- over 350 Christmas bundles were ordered—and we are carrying on the celebration and delieveries into 2012. Construction is almost finished on the security fence at the Francis Gaskin orphanage; new latrines are scheduled to be going in at Rock of Divine Healing orphanage, and the kids at Danny Feeney are going strong in the Child Development Program. Overall, the kids are healthy and happy. 

Christmas bundle deliveries are in full swing in Liberia. We have already delivered 125 fun-and-love-filled bundles to children in two orphanages. Thanks to the amazing response of bundle donators we still have a long way to go—352 have been donated so far!

Christmas is only a few weeks away and preparations for Christmas bundle delivery are in full swing in Liberia. It only costs $25 to provide a special Christmas delivery for a child this season. Please donate a bundle (or two) today!

If you need help getting into the Christmas spirit, watch this video from last Christmas!

Christmas will be here in just a couple of months, and we at Orphan Relief and Rescue are already getting excited about delivering Christmas bundles to the kids in Liberia! Children living in orphanages are often viewed as a statistic or just another face in the crowd, and Christmas is the one time of year where they receive an individual gift, something they can call their very own.

Shoes are sorted. Clothes are piled.  Soccer balls are pumped up. Apples are ripe. And Christmas bundles are, well, bundled.

That can only mean one thing-- Christmas deliveries have begun in Liberia!

Don't worry, it is NOT too late to help deliver more Christmas joy. A gift of just $25 will send a Christmas bundle, new outfit and shoes to a child in Liberia. Follow this link and donate today.

Merry Christmas! 

Christmas is one of the happiest and most special times of the year--especially for kids! For weeks now, the children in my small groups at the orphanages have been talking non-stop about Christmas. Their excitement is an inspiration to me. These kids won't have dozens of presents to open on Christmas Day; in fact, the bundles that they get from us are often the only gift they'll receive. Still, whenever someone mentions Christmas, the kids' eyes light up, and they all start grinning. The joy of Christmas is written all over their faces.

One of my favorite things about Christmas in Liberia is delivering gift bundles to the children. After weeks of planning, collecting, sorting, and wrapping, I get to see the shining smiles of the kids as they open their presents (usually the only one they will receive), try on shoes, and model new clothes. Originally, we included an orange with the Christmas bundles. A piece of fruit seemed to be a smart addition to the other sweets that are often included in Christmas celebrating.

I'm giving our wonderful Liberian blogging crew a day off to let those of you in the Seattle area know that we've got some very special things coming up.

This last week I had the privilege of working with a team from 12Stone Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia. The eight members were with us only briefly, but they managed to impact over 100 kids' lives in three different orphanage homes.