Fun fact about me: I love giving people gifts but even more so I love watching people open gifts. When I give a gift I spend a ton of time searching for the perfect gift–the gift that will show how much I care and love them. So seeing their faces break into huge smiles or seeing tears come to their eyes brings more joy to my heart than a medium iced hazelnut coffee from Dunkins (that's a big deal).
Adorable little girl with her brand new beanie baby! How cute is that smile!?!?
So it's been weird being on the race. First I'm missing birthdays (HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISSY (the 8th), IMANI (the21st) and JENN (the 28th)!) and Christmas so I can't get people back home gifts. And since I have almost no money and am in random towns with limited shopping opportunities I'm not able to give my teammates gifts very often.
So imagine my joy when we were told that our ministry last week would be handing out food bags, clothes and toys to the people of the villages! It's like Christmas!! And it seriously made me happier than my team deciding to do our own 25 Days of Christmas watching a different Christmas movie each night (which is again a big deal–I miss ABC Family)!
One of the missionary families here–I love them! They took me out to deliver the food packages to the families in need and widows.
I wish I could adequately describe or had pictures that could show the joy on the people's faces. We brought food to people who didn't know where they were going to get their next meal. We brought food to widows who were more joyful to have someone remember to visit them than to know they would have food for at least a week or two. We were able to bring trucks and dolls to boys and girls who probably aren't getting anything else this Christmas. We delivered scarves, mittens and hats to families that daily have to try to protect themselves from the bitter cold. We even gave out hygiene kits and shirts to people who probably haven't had new clothes in a very long time.
I may be bringing home a small Romanian child…
And all of this was possible because of a church in Georgia. They shipped over 20 boxes to the church here filled with all kinds of supplies and a group of six from the church came with money to buy the groceries and help distribute the supplies. This one church helped out countless people in at least 5 villages! And all of a sudden I was so happy all those times I had given money to buy Christmas supplies or participated in Operation Christmas Child or Toys for Tots or put money in a Kettle. Before I had always given because it seemed like a really warm and fuzzy thing to do but I always felt disconnected like my money or toy was just going out into the wild blue yonder.
Seriously these girls are ridiculously adorable right?!!?
But now I'll do it because I have faces to put with the donations and I would do anything to bring smiles to these faces again. We met one widow who not only lost her husband but one son had committed suicide and the other was an alcoholic. She was so sad and lonely and we were able to tell her she was loved and made sure she was taken care of by bringing her groceries that she couldn't afford even though it had cost less than $10. That's it, less than $10 to bring peace and joy. In Bolivia I left two bottles of $2 nail polish and 99 cent polish remover to the older girls in the orphanage and they exuded joy. Joy for $5. It seems too easy.
So I know some of you haven't even started shopping yet and others are already done. And I'm sure all of you have seen an opportunity to give to someone less fortunate. And maybe you've given. Maybe you haven't given. Maybe you think you don't have enough to spare. Or maybe you don't feel connected. I want to let you know that your donation no matter how big or small does make a difference. I've hugged the girls after giving a $5 gift and kissed the old woman on her adorable wrinkly cheek after handing over less than $10 worth of groceries. I've seen the smiles and the tears. So please keep giving. It's needed. And if you've already given–it's ok to give more.
This is Lydia and the second day she saw me she ran up to me, gave me a huge hug and said, "I love you Melissa!" I would give anything to see her ridiculously adorable smile. And you know the one thing she wanted? My notebook because she LOVES to draw. The notebook cost me 70 cents.
