Christmas Shopping!

Christmas is definitely in the air already in Cebu.  Once the name of the month ends in "ber", it's time for Christmas music in the stores, Christmas lights, and decorations.  The kids have been anxiously talking about it for weeks too.  "It's almost Christmas!" they keep saying, even though it's still several weeks away!  I've been so thrown off by time here since it's kind of a perpetual summer here.  I'm trying to convince myself it really IS November, even though I'm still wearing summer clothes, sweating almost daily, and there is no sign of snow (unless you count the "Let it Snow!" song I heard at Pizza Hut the other day or the snowflake mugs for sale at Starbucks...).

Christmas brings lots of exciting activities to CSC, but one huge task for the staff is SHOPPING for our 75 kids! Before coming to CSC, our kids didn't have a chance to celebrate Christmas like most of us are used to. In fact, just last night as I was hanging out with my class, they were sharing with me about how (pre-CSC lives) they would go Christmas caroling, which essentially is begging for money here at this time of year. Now at CSC they get to enjoy lots of fun Christmas events, celebrate Jesus' birthday, and of course receive gifts!

This weekend at the mall there are lots of sales, so we took advantage of them and decided to go shopping a little early. After a scrumptious Sbarro dinner, we braced ourselves and plowed through the crowds, clutching our assigned lists of kids and the kids' lists of gift ideas. We scoured the department store's toy department for hours, finding the perfect gifts for every child. Since Philippines stores have an overabundance of workers, there were plenty of people anxious and willing to help us. They were quick to show us where anything was, lots of options for gifts, and even let us hoard a big space at the checkout for all of our gifts as we shopped!

(Andrew plotting out his shopping, as Joemar looks on)

I would say my shopping trip was successful. Didn't quite finish by midnight when the stores closed, but I'm getting pretty close! What a neat opportunity "to be a part of something bigger than ourselves", as Andrew said tonight. Giving these kids fun gifts, but also continuing to help hand back their childhood to them, which most of them lost for so many years before CSC. It'll be quite a thrill to watch their eyes light up as they open their gifts at Christmas! My guess is that it'll make an exhausting 5 hours at the mall well worth it! :)

These are some of the kids' lists with ideas for Christmas gifts.  Kinda cute. :)  One teacher actually had her class write "things you can buy" on the front and "things you can't buy" on the back, since some of her kids were writing "a family" or "a mom and dad" on their lists...  We'll have to leave those gifts in God's hands for His perfect timing...