The Semillas Kids Play Santa on Christmas Eve

Christmas week was a busy, exciting and fun filled time for all the kids at Semillas de Amor. The kids were given two wonderful parties by our generous and thoughtful Guatemalan supporters! Thank you Moniquita and Eugenia! On Christmas Eve we had a big turkey dinner with all the trimmings, luncheon for all the kids and staff. What a wonderful full week.

However, we can’t forget about those children who have nothing that live near us. These kids pass our children’s home everyday carrying heavy loads of firewood on their backs. Little children carry even smaller children, mothers wheel their children in wheelbarrows full of wood. If the children are lucky they are on horseback. These children all suffer from chronic malnutrition, poor health all need dental care and none go to school.

So this Christmas Eve our children had the chance to give back. My personal belief is that giving feels just as good, if not better, than receiving. Our children are being taught to feel blessed and grateful for what they have in life and never forget about those that are less fortunate than they are. And, in Guatemala, it is not hard to find someone less fortunate than you.

A short story I want to share about giving back. My daughter Gaby has grown up with sometimes as many as 80 brothers and sisters. Her life has been about giving back so this story is no surprise to me but does shine the light on how giving back should just be an instant response. Gaby rides horses for fun and for competition. One year when I would come to pick her up she was always late. She would go out on long rides and I would have to wait for her. I would get annoyed she wasn’t ready. This went on for a few months. And then one day when I picked her up she had a little stuffed bear and several hand made cards. The little stuffed bear was pretty dirty and used. I asked her where she got that stuff. Then Gaby told me that she had been teaching a group of little girls, who were on the horse farm picking coffee how to ride. That is why she was late everyday. She would go off onto the farm and work with the kids. I asked her why she was teaching the kids to ride. Gaby responded, “because they love horses and wanted to learn to ride.” I was so proud of Gaby. She had never told me she had been taking all that time, getting my annoyance at being late, to teach little girls to ride her horse. Gaby never thought about not teaching them, they wanted to learn. And in return these little girls gave Gaby one of their precious stuffed animals and took the time to make her thank you cards.

Our Semillas kids were given the opportunity to give back on Christmas Eve. All those little kids I had seen carrying firewood, moms with kids in wheelbarrows, I had stopped and asked them to come to the Children’s home on Christmas Eve day and we would have presents for them. And those kids showed up, 25 of them. I have no doubt that these children would have received very little, if anything at Christmas. What a joy for our children to give back.

So many wonderful people have paid it forward to us this year. We have survived and our kids have thrived because of our supporters. And now we have been given the opportunity to reach out further into the community to other children. Children whose lives we can truly change through health care, education and nutrition.