Christmas Joy Should Be for Everyone


Speaking of the Christmas season conjures up so many pictures of intense preparation, of contacting family and friends - above all remembering the real reason for all this good-will - the goodness of our heavenly Father in sending His beloved Son to be our friend and guide. His friendship and love give us our lead in our mission work here. We have so many opportunities to spread this message of love.
This year - 2005 - there was so many cries for help from destitute families or individuals but always help arrived at the right moment and it was as though He was saying "keep on keeping on - plan help where you can and support will come".

Our efforts to bring joy to the many needy people brought joy to all!
Firstly there was one deplorable case where a family squatted in a "house" minus light, heat and water. When two of our stalwart volunteers took a huge hamper of food to their "door" there was such joy, relief and almost disbelief that such a gift was theirs.
Then there was Rosemarie who so appreciates her daily "meal on wheels" but was like a child with its Christmas stocking when we presented her with a shoebox containing toiletries, articles of clothing, sweets, money for medicine and some personal expenses. The shoe-box gifts for each member of the family of eleven children also the huge food parcels, chocolates and money brought not only joy but relief from debt. The spontaneous reaction of gratitude was expressed by all standing in prayer with the tiniest one leading the "our father".

Not far from there lives another destitute family of nine children. As
they have neither father nor mother but are being cared for by the two oldest girls they jumped for joy to see us coming. They vied with each other as to who would help carry in the parcels of food, new...
...bed sets and a kitchen robot or mixer.
To entertain us they recited poetry and then, as a family formed a
"choir" to sing hymns. Even the 22 year old brother joined in.
What to say about the lovely family of seven children. Like the other two families these little ones were bright and courteous. An inundation during flood time here had completely destroyed the roof of their house. Other flood damage had left only one secure room and here all lived, ate and slept. It was our joy to bring some cheer through gifts of food and money.
Back in the hospital we are constantly aware of the fact that long -term patients especially those in the Oncology Department and
Rehabilitation Department are so confined. Our dream to extract all
who could get out came true when we managed three trips. The third
one, which brought indescribable joy to the children, was during the
Christmas time when we took them to a special show "Circus on the Ice". For some children this evening was one with unforgettable emotion and the story of the circus is being told and retold with the same joy so many days after. This was the best Christmas gift for these suffering children.
I cannot think of a family more lively than our five little boys in "Nazareth", always they are so happy, having such devoted
"sponsoring parents", when shoe-box gifts for all (parents included)
were carried in by Traian all had only a one-track mind!! What treasures are here?

There was a big joy for our four invalid brothers - Cirja family - when we presented them with new blankets, bed-sets, sweets and hampers of food and money. The largest family to receive gifts in spring, Easter, summer and now at Christmas is in the orphanage in Tincabesti all had the joy of receiving new clothes and food at each visit then at Christmas they had the added excitement of each opening his / her own shoe-box. What concentration, what whoopees
of joy finding treasures. Their little world for a short and happy...
...time was enlarged enough to catch inside all their unreleased dreams and wishes. The shoe - box gifts proved a joy too for our elderly friends in sector 4 house for the elderly people.

At times like this it is like watching children search in their
Christmas stocking!

And Roxana, a 20 year old girl, wheel-chair bound, living alone was so happy to receive a new and warm blanket, food and money. Of course we also made sure she had her box of toiletries etc.

Our project has established a tradition to have parties at Easter, St
Nicholas and at Christmas for the oncology ward. Superb music from
Los Platanos Band is now a part of this joy-giving as also are the gifts
for every child and food for mothers and children (including a large
Christmas cake). This year parties were held on floors 1 and 7 as well as Oncology.
This, with much Carol singing brought a festive and happy spirit where illness and suffering abound.
Our sincere gratitude goes to all our friends and supporters whose generosity provided so much joy and satisfaction to so many really needy people. God bless them and their activities!

Sister Mary Aloysius and Sister Maria