Could you fit your entire Christmas in a box?

The first snow flurry has arrived! It definitely felt a lot more like Christmas time waking up to a little snow on the ground. It's strange to still be in November and yet delivering Christmas gifts. Snow helps! As does the excitement and passion Hordu has for the children in telling the story of the baby born in Bethlehem. 

At the end of the first school we were invited into the staff room for tea/coffee which was lovely. It was very much in Romanian style!

When you first enter the room the children are shy and quiet. The room is very different when you leave! The joy and happiness is very catching and it's hard not to maintain a Cheshire cat grin!

A wood pile for winter. All the rooms are heated with a stove in the corner.

We also miscounted the number of people travelling and so Natalie and I shared a single seat in the back with all the boxes!

We also arrived at the second school mid-practice for the celebrations on December 1st.

Such a brilliant morning in the first two schools. And then upon arrival at the third school we passed some children walking home. By the time we reached the school half the classes had been dismissed. There was a lot of discussion in English, Romanian and German. It was decided that it wasn't fair to give the remaining children and that if there were enough shoeboxes left a visit would happen at Easter. We are fully packed out and unfortunately don't have time to go back. The charity also have the policy that the boxes must go into the children's hands. Leaving 200 boxes to be given out the next day of school would not allow us to share the most important part of the whole process. It was really disheartening to have to walk away and not give to the children who were out in the corridors watching us. So please pray that boxes will be left over and that at some point Project Romania can return to the school and share the good news.

This afternoon was spent sorting food to go into the food parcels. I actually managed to sneak in a wee nap as I was just exhausted with having a cold all week and not sleeping. So that was great! Tomorrow will be a day for continuing to organise the food, re-organising some left over boxes from today and having a little rest.

It is all worth it in the end

It all started at 04:30. Not because it was supposed to. That's just when I woke. And obviously was too excited to get back to sleep and today was the day we started shoebox deliveries! Also have a cold and can't breathe horizontally....but that was a minor factor!

 
Time and effort sorting in the past week proved extremely rewarding to have the shoeboxes organised in classes, sexes and age groups.

Preparing for the children to come out in their classes!

Just look at the excitement on the little girl in purple's face. That's maybe not the best grammar but just look at her wee face!!!

Two wee boys from the hill in Seleus...

It literally is freezing!

And for now I'll just let the photos speak for themselves...

The excitement of a shoebox was almost too much for the children. Pinging the elastic band on the top. Peeking in the corners. Lifting the items out one by one. Eyes glittering. Laughter and giggles. Pretending to use the toothbrush. Gasps of amazement at their toys/colouring books/crayons. It was definitely worth the effort the last couple of weeks! The only gift they will get this Christmas.

It was a joyful morning in three schools. Everything went smoothly. The weather was cold but not snowing so we were able to travel! The vans were loaded with the right boxes! The teachers were organised. The classes waited patiently. The message of Christmas was clearly delivered by Hordu. The children all received boxes. Such a wonderful morning!

So a massive thank you to those who made up boxes in Northern Ireland, those who packed them into lorries, those who helped unload them here in Laslea, those who came out in the last few weeks to sort them and those who helped to give them out today! And most of all to God for His goodness in the whole process. A faithful God.

And then as if that wasn't enough excitement we held a feeding program this afternoon and gave out potatoes. It really is incredible to see the change in the people and the peace on the hill.

As always we had the children along to watch the proceedings.

And they brought some of their toys from their shoeboxes received in the morning!!!! That was exciting. To actually have time to play with the kids and the balls, slinkys etc.

It was heartbreaking to watch this wee four year old give his coat to his little sister who was crying with cold.

And these two boys playing with a wheelie bin. They'd been dumping rubbish but ended up playing on the hill.

And even still, we had not had enough fun. So we decided to sort all the boxes for tomorrow.

So the vans are loaded. We are ready for tomorrow. Bring on three more schools!