Way back before Christmas, we joined the consulate community in providing Christmas gifts for kids at an orphanage outside Chennai. We sponsored a 12-year-old boy. John admits to tearing up when he read the boy's wish list: shoes, belt, school bag, etc. The fanciest thing on the list was a volleyball. We decided it might be a good experience for our kids to help deliver the gift bags. It was a long drive to the orphanage but well worth the trip.
The home is for HIV-positive kids. Here's the baby and toddler room.
Santa and some of the older kids greeted us in the courtyard. Evie assured me several times that this was NOT the real Santa but was someone just PRETENDING to be the real Santa. For some reason, all Santas we've seen in India are equally creepy. It must be the mask.
The kids put on a fun talent show for us. They danced, sang, recited speeches, and played instruments. My favorites were a girl who did a great Bollywood dance routine and a group that sang a traditional Tamil call and response song. There was also this awesome dance to a jazzed-up "Jingle Bells." Wish I had a video.
Samuel got these boys laughing.
After the talent show, the kids were called up to receive their gift bags. Here are some of them anxiously awaiting their turn.
When our boy was called, I nearly fell over. He was so small! I bought a new outfit and shoes for a 12-year-old ... not expecting him to be Evie's size. Johnny was excited to give him the bag.
He'll have to do some growing before he wears his new clothes, but it was fun to see how excited he was about the volleyball and other gifts. I'm glad we helped deliver the bags. It was great to meet the kids we were sponsoring and fun to see them so happy and appreciative.
The home is for HIV-positive kids. Here's the baby and toddler room.
Santa and some of the older kids greeted us in the courtyard. Evie assured me several times that this was NOT the real Santa but was someone just PRETENDING to be the real Santa. For some reason, all Santas we've seen in India are equally creepy. It must be the mask.
The kids put on a fun talent show for us. They danced, sang, recited speeches, and played instruments. My favorites were a girl who did a great Bollywood dance routine and a group that sang a traditional Tamil call and response song. There was also this awesome dance to a jazzed-up "Jingle Bells." Wish I had a video.
Samuel got these boys laughing.
After the talent show, the kids were called up to receive their gift bags. Here are some of them anxiously awaiting their turn.
When our boy was called, I nearly fell over. He was so small! I bought a new outfit and shoes for a 12-year-old ... not expecting him to be Evie's size. Johnny was excited to give him the bag.
He'll have to do some growing before he wears his new clothes, but it was fun to see how excited he was about the volleyball and other gifts. I'm glad we helped deliver the bags. It was great to meet the kids we were sponsoring and fun to see them so happy and appreciative.
What a great thing! I want so much to have those opportunities for my kids. It's so sad that Christmas is so busy that I don't take the time to look for them. I'll have to do it next year. We got your Christmas card in the mail today, and LOVED seeing it and reading it!
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