As I was awoken this morning by Joshua jumping up and down on my bed excitedly declaring "It's Christmas Eve! It's Christmas Eve!"...
As I am feeling inordinately bless this year to be spending it within the arms (and as much as we hug around the LaJoy house it really is "within the arms") of my loving family...
As Christmas Day will be spent celebrating with wonderful friends as 9 more people from our church join us at our home to create an extended family for the day...
As I think if two little girls who are not home but will be in my heart EVERY SINGLE MOMENT...
I can rest a little easier knowing that YOU ALL made Christmas happen elsewhere. Children who were forgotten by society were shown they were not really forgotten after all. Not only did you make the LaJoy family's Thanksgiving extraordinary due to your astounding giving of over $2000 in a mere 7 days, but you have helped take the sting away from Christmas this year when we thought we just might have our WHOLE family home. You have brought light and joy, smiles and love to over 200 children in Kyrgyzstan.
Through a little thing called the internet, the world suddenly doesn't seem that small, does it? For us, having been there, the faces of those children all feel as if they live just around the corner...or, who am I kidding, in my very own house. That is how real it is to us. They are not anonymous children as they may be for many of you who have never been to Kyrgyzstan, they are the same eyes that look up at me every day residing in much different circumstances.
When one hears about generic "kids who are hungry" or "kids who won't have Christmas" it is easy to pass by, to ignore it. When one SEES those gleeful faces, when one can almost imagine hearing the laughter and singing, or when one can easily imagine holding those very kids in your arms...it suddenly isn't as generic anymore...it isn't as easy to turn a blind eye.
We can NOT all adopt, nor should we all. We CAN all make a difference though.
And look at the difference you made:
You can see many more photos of the party at the Red River Orphanage at John Wright's blog: http://www.actofkindness.blogspot.com/ where the kids from the Orlofka orphanage entertained the other children with break dancing and singing. Again, another wonderful example of how John creates that interconnectedness that is so important.
You guys did this! Not me, not John...YOU. Your generosity was so overwhelming, I was truly amazed at what I had initially thought might have us lucky enough to raise $200 and help a little towards a party which instead turned into...well...a virtual giving marathon!! I always knew my readers were wonderful, caring people as evidenced by their kind, thoughtful comments and warm emails, but this was so beyond anything I ever expected.
Go check out the full story at John's blog, it will leave you with a smile on your face all day. There will be more photos to follow as the next group (the first $1000 we raised money for...Pie #1 actually..hahahaha!) gets their hamburger dinner at a restaurant and their gifts. You have no idea what this will be like for them, I remember taking Kenny from the orphanage that first day and his reaction at going to a restaurant for the first time...having soda and not expecting bubbles...grinning from ear to ear and preferring to sit at the table and EAT EAT EAT (OK, so he STILL does that!) rather than go play on the swings and slide.
Merry Christmas, Amir (soon to be Isaac!!!). You were NEVER forgotten.
Merry Christmas, my dear sweet A & O. How I wish you were here...
Merry Christmas to every one of my Blog Readers. May you pause for a moment during the festivities of the next couple of days and think of "our kids" in Kyrgyzstan. Light a candle for them, say a prayer, mention them around the laden dinner table. Share these photos with your visiting family and friends...for THIS is what Christmas is all about.
2 comments:
Hi Cindy.
When you were talking about Kennys reaction to the pop, I could not help but think of a couple other times that we brought kids out for a meal... When they look up at us with such utter contentment, and exclaim... "I never new food could tast so good"... It makes me realise that even the food they do get is not what we would consider appitizing... Then there was the time that one girl went to our translator Acel... she was very upset... she had eaten too much... this had never happened to her before, and she was scared that she may have permanewtly damaged herself... She asked if she would need to go to the hospital....
Unfortunatly it is a feeling most of us will experience Tomorrow.!
Such a pleasure to see that big smile on our Isaac's face. Soon they'll all be home....sometimes what gets me through is knowing that they don't know what they're missing and that is a good thing, a very good thing. Thank you all who gave our son some Christmas cheer. Please pray that the government will soon release these children to their families!
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