Christmas in July

After a few weeks in America, I was able to come back to The Shepherd Center with gifts for everyone in the house!

We are so thankful for everyone who played a role in this!

Board member, Elaine, left a pair of new underwear for all of the boys. In all my years of working with orphans and vulnerable children in different parts of the world (since 2001!), whenever anyone expresses interest in giving gifts, underwear is always my number one answer! Think of it this way: What would you buy for your children that no one else would? Those are most often the biggest needs!

Several friends of mine bought Norwex body cloths for the boys. My mom embroidered their initials in the corners, so they wouldn’t get mixed up. Thumbs up to good hygiene!

My church, Village Bible Church, recently had a short-term mission trip visit Uganda. They left TSC with some big blessings: undershirts for the bigger boys, t-shirts for the smaller boys, and a package of biscuits (cookies) for everyone!

My mom sent me with her favorite candies: peppermints. So everyone enjoyed sucking on those special sweets!

One thing I regularly do for the boys at TSC is print out pictures from their sponsors. So, when I was home I scavenged garage sales and department stores for good deals on little photo albums. Everyone now has an album to keep all the pictures they receive from their sponsors!

Many sponsors sent me letters and/or packages for their boys. They were so excited to receive word from their sponsors! It’s amazing what an impact such a relationship can have on a child’s spirit–knowing that someone they may have never even met physically loves them and sacrifices for them.