Christmas Programs and Christmas break

Well...I guess I didn’t get quite as much written as I thought I would over Christmas break.  ;-)  Now I will try to tell you as much as possible without boring you.

I guess I will start with the Christmas programs for the children in our school.  The church had a Christmas program for our children.  They gave each child a pair of shoes.  A week later we had a special Christmas program at our Center.  At this one, the children put on a program for their parents.  They also received boxes of gifts that were prepared for them by families who “adopted” each child.  Our director, Alexis, had already left Lebanon for the States, so we were on our own.  Everything went well except that the kids were all very naughty that day.  I had so much trouble with them that I was VERY glad that there wouldn’t be school again for over two weeks. ;-)

At our tables waiting for the first Christmas program to begin (the first
program was held in the University's cafeteria up on the mountain). 

Mahmoud and I waiting patiently for the food :)

The gifts!

On the bus back home to the Center Majed (front) and
Abdullah (back) proudly display their new looks :)

The second program was held in the Blue room at the Center...
here all the kids were enjoying a story from Staas Essam.

While the kids enjoy their story, the gifts are brought to the pink room. 

Happy faces.

The blue class is presenting one of the songs they 

have learned in English class about hats to the parents.

Mohammad (one of the rascals in Pink Class) and his
sister Khadijah (my translator).

Diar posses with his friend Hassan who proudly holds his gift box
(both are from Pink Class).

Abdul Rahman (back left), Abdul Al (back right), Diar  (front left),
and Hassan (front right) with their teacher Miss Tamarah. 

Ahmad (from Pink class) can't wait till he gets home to check the
contents of his gift box...Abdul Al is happy to help him make sure
everything is in the box:). 

Since Alexis was no longer at the Center, where we usually live together, I was not sure what would happen with me.  After much consideration, it was decided that I would not be allowed to stay their by myself.  For the first few days I wasn’t sure where I would be sleeping the next night.  Fortunately after a few days, they worked it out so that Suzanne would stay at the Center with me.

Below are some of the photos of what my Christmas break included:

The non-volunteer workers still had work to do during Christmas break
and one of the things we did was visit our families. This is in the home
of one of the families who has three of their children in our school. Aya
(far right in the white sweater), Souraya (far left in blue jeans), and
Abdul Hameed (boy in blue shirt in the middle). 

I made some Christmas presents with homemade clay...this one
was a tea-light holder for Alexis

The finished product

I made a castle out of the same clay for one of my young friends

Another Christmas gift for a different friend...can't quite
be compared to my sisters paper dolls :(. 

More apple sauce!

The week around New Year's was a very loud one with fire works and noise
makers going off every few seconds from around 5pm to past midnight
every night from all directions except under me :) (as in there was noise from
 all around and even from above me on the roof :)) 

After church on Sabbath some friends came over to the
Center where we had a pot luck and watched GYC.

Excursion to the mountains to see Uncle Bassam (an old friend from Nigeria)

Uncle Bassam lives near Hasbaya

On the way we saw refugee tents on the hills.  It made me realize

 how fortunate “our” refugees are to have solid walls 

and roofs (well. . .most of them anyway).

At Uncle Bassam’s house we had a feast.

Outside Uncle Bassam’s parents’ house [Mrs. Giedre-far left, with 

her son Greg (who I made the castle for), Alexandra (Mrs 

Raluca’s daughter), Uncle Bassam (friend from Nigeria who made 

the road behind our hospital compound), Grace (in front of Uncle 

Bassam-she is the daughter of Mrs. Giedre and the 

person I made the paper doll for), and me).

A glimpse of Mt. Hermon.

Uncle Bassam's family and all of us.

Caught! (on the way back from Uncle Bassam's house we took
the opportunity to catch up on some much needed sleep :))

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