Christmas Is Coming!

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Christmas is coming!  The official H.E.R.O. tree, courtesy of Dan Kasnick, has been placed and decorated in our house, prepared with gifts under the trees.  Thus far the kids think these are the only gifts they will be receiving!  Santa came by last week and I told the kids that he came early to talk to me about who has been naughty or nice to determine how many gifts they will get for Christmas this year!  They will be quite surprised to see all the gifts that have been sent to them!  It surely will be a Christmas to remember.

Today we were invited by Dora, a volunteer at another residence for orphans, to their Christmas party.  Our kids were super well-behaved.  At one point they didn't think they would be receiving gifts, so they sat quietly together, while Dayanna helped console two crying orphans.  To their relief Dora had arranged for each to receive a gift, but I was so proud of them, rather than complaining, they sat patiently for their turn.  The party included an appearance by MikaBen, a famous and talented musician here in Haiti.  It was fun watching our kids interact with other children in a safe environment.  We continually work on their social integration!

In other news, our House Mother/Chef is going to be getting married on December 24^th!  This is a very exciting time for us all as we watch Iloude take the next step in her life.  Iloude has worked with H.E.R.O. for over a year.  She started as the Chef, but after developing great relationships with the children and demonstrating tremendous skills she was hired on as the House Mother as well.  We all wish Iloude the best on her wedding day!

Without Iloude, the weekend cooking is left to me!  Fortunately, this past Tuesday I went to the supermarket we usually go to, and to my surprise they gave us a FREE 14 pound turkey for the holidays!  This Sunday I am going to make a full Christmas dinner with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, and even a pie if I get to it!  It should be an interesting event; I will try to document it on camera!

Sitting here writing this blog, a smile is permanently attached to my face, watching our kids enjoy their presents, sharing them, playing together without worry.  For these children, the real orphans of Haiti, their current lives are filled with joy, health, and happiness.  I look forward to the day when H.E.R.O. can do the same for all the orphans still out there.  If you ever get discouraged by the enormity of the problems in our world, just remember, you really can make a difference, one child at a time.  The children that reside at the H.E.R.O. House are living proof of that.

Merry Christmas!

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D

President

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