Text by Amy Scheuren
Photos by Melissa Vargas
We celebrated Christmas at the Family Support Center on Tuesday December 16th. Family Support Center staff and volunteers had been preparing for the big day for weeks. We measured feet and ordered shoes, sized sweaters, and purchased toys and/or small gifts for each of the forty children and youth.
On the day of the party,
Pop Wuj Spanish language students, volunteers, staff traveled to Llanos del Pinal and joined the project participants, their family members, and the Family Support Center staff to enjoy a fun-filled Christmas party. The main room was already decorated for Christmas and the gifts were placed under the tree. The mothers and staff were finishing the preparation of the rice tamales, the typical Guatemalan Christmas dish. The pine needles were spread on the floor and we started the marimba Christmas music.
We started with a welcome and a lengthy game of Pin the Nose on Frosty. Each kiddo and some of the adults had a turn.
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| Oscar, the first kiddo to try it a try |
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| Auri, being spun around a few times before her turn |
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| Pinning the nose on Ashley instead |
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| Most kids had a pretty good sense of where the carrot nose should go. |
We also had to say goodbye to Adam, who has spent 12 months with us at the Family Support Center. Gracias por todo Adam!
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| Speeches were made, tears were shed |
Next we distributed the gifts to all of the children and youth--new school shoes, a new sweater, and a small toy or gift for each one! The mothers also received family pictures that were taken in October.
Finally, the food--tamales de arroz for everyone!
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| Doña Delfina, Carmelina, Doña Laura, and Doña Silvia with the giant pots of steamed tamales |
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| Buen Provecho! |
Everyone enjoyed the tamales and being together one last time in 2014!
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| Un fuerte abrazo! |
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| Ingrid explains it all to Ashley |
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| Frosty, post carrot attack |
Feliz Navidad!
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