Every Christmas Day we participate in a Christmas custom as old as the colonial Spanish times here. It's called simply, "Merry Christmas". The poor go house-to-house asking for a "Merry Christmas"; hoping for a small something to make their Christmas happy. The missionary community who live in Beverly Hills Subdivision have joined with us for the past 20 years, combining our efforts to give those who will surely come a merrier Christmas than we could provide individually.
The event has grown to massive proportions. This year we anticipate at least 500 children and 500 ad
ults. Toys for the children and a food gift for the adults. Our food bags this year will be rice, sardines, and milk powder. The children will receive coloring books and crayons (donated by a localinternational women's group) and balloons. There must be balloons. The pictures on this post are all from last year. It's a wild and woolly event. Our garage is where the children gather, and our neighbor has constructed a very clever bamboo runway in front of our house for the adults.
Missionary families come to our house on the 23rd to pack up the food bags and prepare the toys. By 7 am on Christmas morning, the crowds are gathering and we begin to give out our "Merry Christmas". Hours and hours of preparation are gone in a flash.
But, you know what....it has made our Christmas Merrier as well!
Merry, Merry Christmas to all!
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