Playing Santa - 12/16/06

On Saturday we went with a group of folks from the church to hand out gifts to kids living in an orphanage in Belize City. We were especially looking forward to meeting the two boys we had shopped for and watching them open the gifts we selected for them. When we arrived at the orphanage, all of the kids were gathered outside watching a play about the First Christmas, which was put on by kids from a local Calvary Chapel. The play was funny, little known fact: After the angel appeared to Mary, she called Joseph on his cell and asked him to come over to her house because she had important news! Didn’t know that! Anyway, while the kids watched the play, I watched the kids. I was surrounded by 64 beautiful children with dark eyes, various shades of brown skin, and smiling faces. Of course, I immediately selected 3 kids that I just knew I couldn’t live without, that I would have to talk Nathan into letting me adopt. Little did I know Nathan was doing the exact same thing, having immediately taking a liking to a particular little mess named Ethan.

After the play was over the kids excitedly turned their attention to us, the white visitors from Blue Creek with all the gifts. The church collected monetary donations as well as gifts for specific kids, and the people of Blue Creek had been so generous we were able to buy stuffed animals for all the kids, put together candy goody bags, and supply the orphanage with a 50 lb bag of rice, boxes of formula, soap and feminine products for the girls. As each child’s name was called they were given their gift, a stuffed animal, and a goody bag. Each child went back to their seat with their wrapped gift and waited patiently for all of the kids to receive gifts before opening theirs. I couldn’t believe how patient these kids were! They sat excitedly watching as others went up to get their gifts. Even when it was time to open them, one little one refused to take the wrapping off, just wanting to treasure the gift. Finally, after a lot of coaxing from one of the youth, the child relented and opened the present.

Nathan and I watched 15 year-old Joseph open the soccer ball and t-shirt we bought him. He immediately tore off a piece of wrapping paper and wrote us a thank you note right there on the spot! He told me he loved soccer and that #3 was his favorite number (the shirt was gave him had the number three on it.) What a sweet, charming, and polite young man he is! I talked to him for a while and he told me he was in 11^th grade at a very prestigious and academically challenging school in Belize City. He also said he was planning on going through the necessary training to become a pilot after school! Our friend Abe was there, so I introduced them and they talked flying for the rest of the visit!

We bought a razor scooter for another little boy, Jamique, but he was not at the orphanage, so we were not able to watch him open his gift. We found out that he is deaf and unable to speak, so this gift is really going to make him popular among the kids! One of the lady who works there said, “that gift is gonna have me runnin all over after him!” I hope they let him have it! It turns out Jamique wasn’t at the orphanage because every year, for two weeks during Christmas, Belizean families can arrange to have one of the orphans stay with them in their homes! You have to go through a home study with Child Services and be approved, but what a great idea that is! It also serves two purposes. The first and most obvious, the kids are able to spend Christmas in a home and have the thrill of a Christmas morning and a huge Christmas dinner. Also, the ladies who work at the orphanage and staff it 24 hours a day, are able to get a break and spend the holidays with their own families.

After the kids opened their gifts, we sat and talked and played with them for about 2 hours—I have never known two hours to pass so quickly! One of the boys that I just fell in love with was named Eric, he had a broken arm, so Nathan and I nicknamed him roto, meaning broken. I helped him get his toy cars out of their packages and played with them. One of them was a police car with a siren; he got a big kick out of that gift. Then, another little boy, Wrick, about the same age as Roto, got a transformer that turned into a jet that shot arrows, so of course, I had to play with him. He shot me with an arrow and I fell over, crying, asking how he could shoot me. He spent the rest of the time sneaking up on me and shooting me with arrows and laughing as I pretended to be in pain. Wrick needed help opening some of his candy and he and I looked through his bag together. One of the things in the bag was a chocolate wafer stick and I told him they are soooo good, so he offered it to me! I couldn’t believe how cute that was! Even when I told him no thank you and told him to enjoy it, he wouldn’t. I put it back in his bag, but he was no longer interested in eating it, he wanted me to have it! I hope he was eventually able to enjoy it!

Ethan, the one I called a “mess” earlier, really was a cutie. He is the one Nathan was so drawn to and for good reason. I called him “mess” because he was just a little guy with a Michigan hat tipped to the side of his head and when he collected his gift, his goody bag and his stuffed animal his hands were full, full, full. He dropped his stuffed animal in the mud, trying desperately not to drop his candy. Then, when he bent to pick up the animal, his shorts, which were way too big for his teeny frame, started to fall down! So there he was, walking very carefully, with his legs spread wide apart to keep his shorts from slipping past his knees, juggling his armful of gifts, with a HUGE grin on his face! Oh if only we had been allowed to take pictures of these kids!

All of the kids were cute and sweet and excited! Most everyone at the orphanage spoke a type of creole, a mix of English, African dialects, and Spanish, called kriol. Listening to those little voices with their big accents just added to their charm! At one point little Wrick got up to play with his transformer and leaving his candy bag on the table asked Nathan, “You mind dis fo me.” Nathan smiled and said, “Yes, I’ll keep an eye on your bag for you.”

Eventually it was time to go, which wasn’t easy. I mean, I can’t even leave the Humane Society without crying, and here I was surrounded by beautiful, funny children who needed a home! Talk about gut-wrenching! If Nathan and I had known you can keep two kids over Christmas, Roto and Ethan would definitely have left with us!

As I mentioned before, we weren’t allowed to take pictures at the orphanage, which was a big bummer. But, since many of the kids placed there are the Belizean equivalent to Child Protection cases, it makes sense. So instead, here are some pictures of our journey home. The first one is of a little boy in Orange Walk. I’m used to seeing boys ride bikes that are too small for them, but I have never seen a little boy attempt to ride an adult bike! I couldn’t let that moment pass!

Also on the way back, Paul got the van stuck in deep deep mud. Apparently dirt roads + the hurricane like rain we have had over the past two weeks = mud traps! We all had to get out, take our shoes off, and push the van through the mud! If you don’t look too closely, this could be a picture of Nathan standing ankle-deep in a snow drift! Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking! After we pushed him out, Paul washed each of our feet and we got back in the van and continued the ride home.

It was a great Saturday, I wish the orphanage was closer so I could visit more often. I have to admit, Nathan and I entertained the idea of adopting one of those little guys. I thought of something Kate said during the days leading up to mine and Nathan’s wedding. She said she wouldn’t be able to stand me having so much attention to myself, so she just may have to announce she was pregnant in the middle of our ceremony. I have to admit, it was a little tempting to think of Nathan and I showing up for Kate’s wedding, with the first grandchild in tow. “Hey Kate, nice dress, it’s really white and pretty! Hey everyone, let me introduce you to our new son! Yup, you guys are now grandparents!! Can he be in the wedding too?” Hehe, tempting, but too evil, even for me. I love you sis!