Christmas in Sous Savanne

The week before the Christmas celebration with the Three Bridges Church from New Jersey, all through the village you could hear the kids talk about the upcoming event.

The day of the party the kids were talking and talking -- all they could say was: ?We have a party; they might give us a gift.?

Before we left for the church the kids got bathed and dressed in a nice outfit -- they were so excited. Once in the church they loved the program and they loved the drama about the Innkeeper ? the drama was performed by the members of the team from Three Bridges and the book used was: Christmas from the Innkeeper?s Perspective.

Even now several weeks later they keep talking about it and tell us that we should not refuse Jesus, which allows me, their mom as well as Mr. Badin, their dad, to keep on reminding them that it is all about accepting Jesus in our hearts. When the time came to go forward to receive the bag with presents, which they had been talking about on and off as soon as we got in the church, they were so happy. They had to wait until we got home before they could open them.

As parents we were so thankful, we had no presents to give them as we did not have the money to buy them anything; so we too were excited about the gift bag as well as the extra food we received this month. So thankful; so excited!

As the earthquake in 2010 totally destroyed our block home, we lived first on the open field, then in a Hope Force tent and then we moved into a makeshift shelter with tarps and had nine people living with us. In 2012 we had a very blessed year -- we moved out of our makeshift house after the USC team built us a home. We love our home, we love our family, we love our Hope Force Family.

Madame Badine is a first grade teacher who lives in Sous Savanne with her husband and two children. Her youngest daughter, Madeline, is part of HFI?s Child Sponsorship Program.