Saturday, December 27, 2008

We Wish You A Merry Christmas...

Each year we attend the Christmas night church service with all our kids. Different groups of children and adults participate in the service and this year the middle group of kids had a message that we thought we would share with you...

You may recognize the tune... but in Romanian the words are "Happy Holidays in Jesus, Happy Holidays in Jesus, Happy Holidays in Jesus and Many More Years with Jesus!" Enjoy as our kids along with others from the church sing this greeting to you!



We do wish hope that your Christmas was Merry and pray that your New Year to come will be blessed with Jesus in moment.

Casa Ana Christmas...


Last but not least on our little Christmas journey was a stop at Casa Ana... as you can imagine, by the time we arrived there at the very late hour of 8:00 AM, everyone was awake and waiting!



Casa Ana had a great time opening gifts, showing what they received to others and enjoying the morning together! It was extra special to have Elis and Simona back from their mentor apartment to share Christmas Eve & Christmas morning with their Casa Ana family!






As in each house, the list varies for the one thing they each wanted... here at Casa Ana, there was everything from "anything High School Musical" to "anything for soccer" and many things in between!





The kids quickly "made" their beds with their nice new bedding and many took a nap during the afternoon and mentioned how nice and warm and soft it all was!



Thank you so much to all of the sponsors and friends of Livada who helped to make Christmas so special for all of our children and teens this year! It has been a blessed season together as the kids have given... by helping with follow up, visiting the babies, going to share Christmas love and joy with the elderly and more. It has also been a joyous time for them to receive... not only things they want, but things they needed. Thank you for investing with us in their lives!

Casa Nadia Christmas...

On from Casa Rebeca... the little Christmas Elves proceeded to awaken the kids from Casa Nadia... Once the little sleepyheads were at the top of the stairs, the caroling began again and the excitement of Christmas morning began to build!




Our youngest kids are at Casa Nadia, so there were a few cases of Barbie or stuffed animals replacing the top items on the list... roller blades, cool shoes and more were opened with joy!




Everyone's room is looking very nice and everyone is sleeping nice and cozy with their new bedding!







Again, A big thank you for the gifts towards Christmas and your love and care for our kids all throughout the year!

Casa Rebeca Christmas...


As is tradition, everyone waited at the top of the stairs and then started singing Christmas carols before being called down for Christmas morning... some were a little sleepy, but woke up quickly once they reached the bottom of the stairs!




This year we decided to do three gifts... just like Jesus... the children each received a Christmas outfit for church, a new set of bedding for their rooms and a new monogramed towel... and one thing that they really wanted... for some it was an mp3 player, for others a name brand pair of shoes, for others remote control cars and the list goes on.









In receiving "less" this year the kids all seemed to appreciate their gifts that much more and many kids said that it was their best Christmas ever!



Thank you so much to all of you who sent donations towards Christmas for the children you sponsor or for our kids in general! Thank you to Scotland Trinity Presbyterian Church for all the wonderful stocking stuffers that you sent. We are so thankful for Christ... the best and truest gift of Christmas!

Friday, December 26, 2008

Christmas Eve with the Mentor Teens...

This year on Christmas Eve as in years past, the Mentor Teens gathered for a special meal and time to celebrate Christmas together. There were a few who were working or visiting family, but many of the current program participants as well as several graduates came together as a family on this special day. It was fun to see them share stories and laugh together as families do when they come together during the holidays!


There was food, fun and laughter as these young adults participated in their annual gift exchange game... some of the prizes are good and some are gag gifts... and everyone enjoys the surprise.



There is also the annual "money tree" which one happy young person will go home with! This year the winner was Simona... it is her first Christmas in an apartment and she was thrilled to receive the tree (and the money)!


We are thankful to Becky Kyle for sponsoring this party that she established with the teens during her time here in Romania. They wanted to share a special Christmas greeting with her...



We also want to share a big thank you to all of you who sponsor and pray for these young people. Please continue to pray for those in the program as well as the graduates as they walk towards independent life with us walking alongside them.

A Christmas Cook Off...

On the first day of the advent calendar, we wrote to the kids telling them that 22 days later they would be having a cooking competition against the other two houses. We advised them to spend the days that followed coming up with a menu, talking to the moms and the educators, and learning how to best make the foods they decided on. On the day of the competition they would not be allowed to receive ANY help from ANY adults. We decided this activity would not only be fun but it would help them to learn to better work together as a team AND it would help them to further their cooking skills!



Leading up to the competition the adults that work with the kids every day didn’t really know what to expect. Well, we were SHOCKED. In ALL three houses the kids worked together extremely well. They planned and organized what their menus would be and what each person’s role would be in preparing a successful meal. The atmosphere in the three houses was awesome! At all of the houses, the kids worked together as a team to create the best meal they possibly could. They didn’t just cook, but they also presented their meals beautifully!



They had all day to prepare a salad, a main course, and a dessert and at the end of the day all 3 houses met together for the judging. Each of the kids was able to enjoy the food prepared by all three houses. Casa Nadia made salata de beouf (which is a traditional Romanian salad made with chicken, carrots, pickles, peas, and mayo), spaghetti, and a cake made with orange soda. Casa Ana made grilled pork, potatoes, and fruit salad. Casa Rebeca made a vegetable salad, snitel with French fries and homemade chips, and fruit salad and sauce which tasted like Christmas in a bowl!


All three houses had completely different meals and all of the meals were exceptional. The moms who were working the night of the competition voted on which house had the best meal, and the winner for the Cooking Competition of 2008 was…Casa Rebeca! However, each kid received a little prize because they really all were winners! We look forward to a new tradition of an annual cooking competition!