Sponsor Joseph, Anyone?

I got an email today from the child we sponsor in Rwanda at Widow's of Hope asking to help find a sponsor for her 15 yr old brother, Jospeh, who wants to go to civil engineering/ carpentry training. Looks like it's about $400 each term, 3 terms per year, for 3-4 more years. Anyone interested can email widows of hope.

On the paperwork front, my 1-600a was returned since my check did not have my address permanently printed on it. How STUPID is that!? They DO take personal checks, and instantly deduct them from your account, but not unless your address is there too- it wasn't enough for me to just write it on. Never mind it's coming from ME, with MY SS#, MY passport and MY birth cert copy, OUR marriage cert, AND my husbands Birth and Pass port copy. What more ID do you want?? No wonder nothing ever gets accomplished in government. Sigh. I don't even HAVE checks with our address on them. I either have to 1- order new checks, or 2- get a darn money order which of course, costs more money. SIGH.

We had a PERFECT christmas eve but hectic Christmas, with Christmas eve spent 1st at our church service, then driving our secret santa packages around downtown to deliver to homeless people we see laying on the streets (our third year in this awesome new tradition) With one package left to deliver, we found a live nativity at 10:30 pm at one of the historic churches in old city and all got out ot See Baby Jesus with the "an-mulls" as E-- says. We fed the goats, lambies, baby donkey and baby calf some bread, much to emilia's delight! We met a couple who had been coming for 25 years to feed the animals in the nativity (despite the sign saying not to, but I think they have grandfathered in rights to feed them:) It was a fun diversion from secret santa-ing and a beautiful sight.

We got back in the car and had not gone more than a few blocks when we heard the bells tolling at Christ Church, and saw they were having an 11:00 service. We decided to go! It was gorgeous, and so cool to be in Church a few pews over from where George Washington sat. When the congreation sang "Gloria in excelcius Deo" the organ stopped and the whole "Gloooo-ooo-rrrr-ii-aaaa" was sung a capella by all of us gathered to worship. It was magical. The music filled the whole church and you could feel a connection to 300 years of Philadelphians all worshiping in the same House of God. E-- was so good the whole time, especially since it was MIDNIGHT and she was still awake. She was 'talking' a little but she did say "amen" after prayers (sooo cute) and the pastor let her have her First communion. (I asked if she was too young but they said it was Ok, I'm sure she will do it again once she really understands what she is doing. ) She didn't eat the wafer but when we got back to our seats she did and asked for "Mo Mo" (for more). I told her, honey, you can have as much of Jesus as you want, but only 1 communion wafer!" She seemed ok with that answer :)

As the service let out at 12:30 am Christmas morning, we walked down the quite street to our car listening to the bells on a perfect Christmas eve. The morning would bring the usual rush and flurry of presents, but Christmas eve together was simply perfect. I wonder where our little one is across the ocean. I hope safe, sound, and maybe hearing the far-away bells of the Christ Church in his dreams. On the way home, we found a final homeless Brother and I left the last package while he lay sleeping. God be with our homeless brothers,sisters, and Children. I hope they know God watches over them too while they sleep.

Finally, I saw a shooting star on Christmas day, as Bill filled the gas tank when we were leaving to go back home after visiting everyone in Harrisburg.