Christmas wishes
Better late than never! It’s been almost a month since asking the girls their high points and low points of the week. Our original group answered, save for Grace. She’s been staying with extended family as she anticipates her baby’s due date. As for the others, they’ve continued to acclimate themselves to the program’s daily activities and care for the home and property.
Over the past few weeks, the girls also welcomed six more sisters and answered the subsequent question: What is your wish for this Christmas? When he emailed, Blake apologized for the predictability and uniformity of their answers. As you can see, there’s an obvious homogeny in the responses, but unless one is familiar with Ugandan customs and traditions, it’d be hard to forecast such a simple and practical Christmas wish. We granted their requests and each girl, plus Pauline, Oliver, and Beatrice, were given an allowance to shop and pick out new Christmas clothes and shoes.
Pauline also emailed and reported that several of the POH girls will be visiting relatives in their respective villages over the holiday. The girls that don’t have families, or those whose safety could be jeopardized by visiting them, will continue to stay in Gulu and celebrate Christmas with local mentors.
Purse of Hope’s Christmas wish is that our girls pour what they’ve learned thus far into the lives of those they’ll be with. They now represent a new hope. Being bathed in a positive environment where love and endless possibilities have replaced mere survival can’t help but have ongoing ripple effects. I can’t wait to hear the reports!
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Christmas wish answers…
Angel: I would like clothes and shoes for the reason that during Christmas everybody must be smart looking.
Jacky: I want clothes and shoes. I want to be smart like others because during Christmas everybody puts on new clothes.
Byanka: I want clothes and shoes because last year at Christmas I didn’t put on new clothes and couldn’t buy any.
Gloria: I want clothes and shoes because I want to be smart like others during Christmas.
Joyce: I want transport for going to the village to see my child and if possible to get clothes for my child.
Brenda: I want clothes and shoes because there’s no one who can buy them for me.
Oliver: I would like to say happy Christmas and prosperous New Year to you Total Attorneys and I would like to thank the Almighty Father for the gift of life and for the gift of what I am doing now, that is the job. As you will be leaving us in Uganda (Blake) I pray to the Almighty Father to bestow blessing upon you to continue having us in mind wherever you are going. Let St. Christopher who is the patron saint of all travelers be with you and to lead you till the time you will be back to us again. I would like you to send my regards to my mother Kristen that I wish her well during this Christmas season. As I will be going to celebrate Christmas festival with my family, I request for your help if possible to help me with a Christmas package. Thanks
Concy: My Christmas wish is having new clothes and shoes. I hope for them this Christmas because my uncle could not buy them for me last Christmas.
Scovia: My wish is having new clothes and shoes for Christmas because I want to be smartly dressed like everyone else.
Beatrice: I want to acquire new clothes and shoes because I want to be in the community/family.
Annet: My wish is having new clothes and shoes this Christmas because I had no one to buy them for me last Christmas.
Pauline: One behalf of the Purse of Hope and on my own behalf I take this opportunity to say a BIG THANK YOU FOR ALL THE LOVE, CARE, SUPPORT AND ABOVE ALL FOR YOUR KIND HEART. WE LOVE YOU KRISTEN AND TOTAL ATTORNEYS! MAY YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! LONG LIVE KRISTEN AND TOTAL ATTORNEYS!
The “high point and low point of your week” answers:
Joyce- The highest point was when I chose last Sunday as my first day of fasting, yet I had never done it before, for the reason that I know it will increase my faith in God. The lowest point is that I took tea with sweet potatoes, which made it even sweeter.
Agnes- My highest point was when I enjoyed the traditional dance coupled with devotions and bible study. The reason is that it reminded me of my old school days. The lowest point was walking barefooted when my sandal got torn off and the stone pressed my feet. Besides that my body reacted to the Vaseline I used.
Jacky- My highest point was learning to sing gospel and traditional songs and dances because it makes my body physically fit. My lowest point was that when I slashed the compound, because my thumb began to ache.
Concy- My highest point was sitting for my primary six end of year exams, because it made me happy. My lowest point was visting the village and my mother went to the hospital to take care of a sick relative in the hospital and I remained at home alone with all the responsibility of taking care of young ones and cooking.
Blake- My highpoint this week was finishing the 10k MTN race on Sunday. It’s been a long year of rehabilitation and recuperation from a severe heel injury I suffered while riding motorcycle taxi (called bodas here in Uganda) last December. I was able to join several good friends for the run, and their encouragement helped spur me on! I’m very thankful to still be able to run, as it’s a passion I’ve enjoyed from youth.
My low point this week was having to say goodbye to some friends I’ve made here in Uganda, not knowing if or when we’d see each other again. Facebook certainly ameliorates these situations, but it’s still a bummer. One of the most difficult things about living here is that after getting to know and become friends with some of the most amazing people you could hope to meet in life, you often have to say goodbye, as they head back to their lives back home.
Pauline- My high point this week was having Bianca move into the house and going to meet the sister who was able to sign the consent form, after I reasoned with her. It’s best for her, and I felt good about being able to convince her. Another high point was my father coming to Gulu.
My low point is that some of the girls complain of stomach aches, and when they’re sick I feel depressed as a mother who’s child is sick. It seems they get sick in turns. Also, my father is sick, and had to come to stay with me. Seeing them sick is difficult, and I don’t feel happy as a child seeing him feel sick.
