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Christmas is for Giving Operation Feed, December 24th, 2018

The Christmas Posada is really a time for the Operation Feed volunteers to give to our families all that has been collected and funded throughout the year that makes their holiday a little better.

Our Posada starts with lots of thank yous and directions for all the volunteers who come to San Juan Cosalá to help on this very special and busy day. The look on Agustin's face makes us all know that our efforts have been worth it.
The volunteers have worked all year long getting ready for this day. On the left you can see lots of the special, gently used gifts that have been packaged into 120 gifts that families may choose from. And on the right are the packaged and grouped Christmas "stockings" for each child. The Egg Ladies put in hours of work to get those ready.

Sue and Lupita are getting ready to let the women choose a gently used purse and scarf. Thanks to all who donated these items.

The local parish priest came to offer a blessing for our families. Along with the blessing was quite a bit of humor and good wishes for a safe new year.

The families may only bring one child to help during the gift time. Viva Mexico's garden area holds the 100 family members and the 40 volunteers plus all the gifts ... but outside there are lots of children waiting to help carry everything home.

Serious faces during the blessing, with children waiting anxiously for the Christmas gifts and stockings.

And once the villagers have been blessed and told about the gifts, they are off in groups of 5 families at a time. Agustin draws numbers and sends the families to choose their special Christmas gift from among the 120 gifts that have been donated. Gently used sheets, towels ... kitchen items ... blankets ... suitcases... holiday decorations ... toys, and more. Then the families picked up the Christmas Stockings filled by the Egg Ladies with items bought and donated by many of our benefactors. Next a bag of travel soaps and shampoos and on to the chicken dinners. Then it is to the Christmas presents for the children 12 and under from GO Restaurant and all those who took a child's name and bought him/her a special gift. Scarves and purses and finally to the special Christmas gift for this year ... three different sized Tupperware containers and a bigger plastic bin to keep food items in. Wow! What a great Christmas for our families.

Our best laid plans don't always work. Some of our mothers couldn't make it to the 12:00 time due to their work schedules. So, they arrived at 1:00 p.m. We were able to laugh at our mom in the red apron who has 7 children and was also collecting items for her wheelchair bound aunt. How in the world would she carry everything home? Well, once the volunteers helped her get the items to the street, her family was all there to help get the goodies to their home.

The faces can make your heart grow and your desire to help expand greatly.

The villagers know that those who volunteer with Operation Feed do it with respect and love. We are so grateful for the opportunities that living in Mexico gives us and that we are able to be a small part of our recipients' lives.

From the heart!

Our Posada is a day of hope. We offer them weekly despensas to help with the hunger, but this day is filled with small gifts that hopefully will bring them joy.

Credits:

Dan Sieben ... thanks for the wonderful photos.

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