Burundi Arts and Crafts

Today we returned to church around 3pm. We were hosting a potluck and arts and crafts to some Burundi families. Many church members drove to the city with borrowed car seats to pick our guest families up and bring them to church. We started the event with Santa's arrival and family portraits. Here's a picture of Santa arriving. We had all kinds of arts and crafts set up and ready to go thanks to one of our other homeschool moms and fellow church member. The kids were able to make beaded bracelets, homemade yo-yo's, cinnamon ornaments and stamped silk scarves. I was in charge of silk scarf stamping. It was lots of fun and another church mom Allison used the heatgun to dry them.

Tae in his new silk stamped ascot.

Morgan Stamping

The two creating

Tae all smiles. He loves arts and crafts.

The Fashionista in the finished product.

For the past several weeks the entire church has been collecting blankets and household items to give to these families. Also donated were crates of fresh tangerines. We collected coats, hats, scarves and mittens for the families to choose from. In the past, our church has always adopted a needy family but this year our RE director decided to reach out to many more families. So many are in need.

After crafting it was time for story telling with Rosie. Rosie is 85 years young and has been involved in the theater all her life. And yes, our pet chicken was named after her. It's a very prestigious thing to be named after a chicken. I'm pretty sure it's Holy. Here is Rosie and the Burundi interpreter reading the story. The picture doesn't show the huge crowd sitting in front of her. I had to crop it because so many kids faces were showing. Rosie is the best story teller.

When the story was over then the big potluck meal came. The entire church cooked and what a spread it was! Everything was delicious and our host families so appreciated all that there was. We used two banquet tables for food and everyone pitched in from doing dishes, to serving to making our guests feel welcomed.

If you sit back and listen at these events you can hear some great things. Here are a few tidbits from tonight. Oh and here's a self-portrait-taken-photo of Tae. He looooves the camera.

• "What is that gray, gunky stuff?"


• This is crazy. "Yes, but a good crazy, not crazy, crazy. "


• Oooooohhhhh, I love meatballs!"


• "Why does Santa look so familiar?"


• "Where did Santa park his sleigh?"


• "He doesn't use his sleigh until Christmas. I think he hitchhiked."


• "How does that big belly fit down the chimney?"


• "My mom never let's me drink soda."


• "Are we only allowed one helping?, because that's all my mom allows."


• "Beans make your farts stink."


• "I hope they paid the dishwasher good 'cause she's gonna be here all night."

And lastly, I find that the kids always have the spirit of the season down and understood long before adults seem to get it. There was a small boy, maybe 6 or 7 sitting close to us when we were eating. I watched him fill 2 plates full of food and eat everything. He filled his plate for the third time and as I was helping to clear dishes I saw him with his head down and almost tearful. I asked him if he was ok and he said, "Jesus taught us to only take what we need. I have filled my plate too full and cannot finish it."

I told him that that was a very important lesson but perhaps Jesus brought us all here tonight with all of this food and friends so that our bellies and hearts can be full.

"Yes", he said. "I think that is it-thank you."

And just so you know, no my kids don't always behave at church. Take a peek at these two pictures that my husband snapped while I was clearing dishes.

Yes, it is a wrestling match and it appears that my youngest is winning.

They were only pretending...check out their smiles!

DuraSoft 3 Litetint