As many of you know, I was fortunate enough to share Christmas with the church, orphans, widows and Kolpele's family while visiting N'Djamena in December. Because of the holidays, Kolpele invited the churches he started around the country to partake in a celebration lasting several days. The celebration began on the 22nd which, incidentally, coincided with my visit although the two were unrelated. While I didn't get to spend much time there, I got to celebrate with them during my brief layover.
There was some confusion when I arrived at the airport but Kolpele eventually tracked me down and we drove to his house/orphanage. When I arrived, many children (at least 30-40) and quite a few adults (20-30) packed in to the old church which is under conversion to the hen house (no hens yet). This apparently was not even the major contingent from earlier in the day since many people had left by the time I arrived. After travelling to Chad several times, I am familiar with many of the faces and can even remember some of the names. I feel ashamed that while everyone seems to know my name, I cannot seem to commit all of their name's to memory. Regardless, they all seem to share my joy in meeting again. 
Upon my arrival, Kolpele brought the two huge bags that I brought with me on my trip over. I had many items donated for X-mas gifts in addition to funding for our projects, and I ended up with 120 lbs of supplies! Thank you so much to those of you who helped in collecting gifts! I'm just happy that Air France has a 70 lb limit for each bag... Since the airports get suspicious about gift-wrapped packages, none of the gifts were wrapped. As such, they could be distributed to the kids that needed the items most. Kolpele jumped in and acted the part of Santa Claus, distributing gifts to every individual in the group since he knew the needs of everyone. It was incredible to see how two bags seemed to carry an endless supply of children's clothes, toothbrushes, shoes, bibles, candy, toys, school supplies, medicines, home supplies, construction equipment, and even a digital camera for Kolpele. It reminded me of when Jesus used 2 loaves of bread and 5 fish to feed a massive crowd since everybody had something at the end (of course I'm not comparing myself to Jesus - I'm comparing the generosity of those who have helped).
While Kolpele played Santa, I was given the opportunity to take pictures of the congregation receiving gifts. The kids love to have their pictures taken and usually jump into each other's shots. At one point I also opened several bags of candy and gave a few pieces to every person there. I also had a chance to sit back and watch the kids and how involved they were in the gift-giving - they were smiling and laughing, asking for more presents and playing with each other - much like American children. What a way to experience Christmas! It felt better to watch the excitement of these kids getting simple gifts than I have ever felt about receiving a gift.
The gift-giving lasted about an hour and a half and by its end, many people had to leave for bed. We were all exhausted but cheerful - none more so than Kolpele who was planning the week of festivities. The following days were very busy with a big conference and worship so everybody was excited. I was also given a gift - I learned how much I have and how little I understand sacrifice. Kolpele and I were just sitting in the room with some of the kids after the gifts. We talked for a while about the projects, the upcoming week etc, and he then asked me if I could get him a watch. As the head of the group, he explained, it would be beneficial to have a watch since he had no great means of telling time. As he saw my watch, he changed his focus and asked for my watch directly and asked if I could get another one while at home. I must admit that when first asked, I was not very willing to part with this watch - mostly because I liked it and had it for several years. That would also mean I was without on my journey home.
God worked on me for a few seconds and I realized how selfish this was - look at all the blessings I have and how much need they have. How can I hold on to something I see as "mine" when it really isn't a big deal to get another one? It's all God's stuff anyway and if I can't be obidient in giving this small object, how can I be faithful with everything else in my life? In the end, I was happy to part with it and it really made Kolpele light up. I rejoice that everyday he wears it he will be reminded of his brothers and sisters in the US just as I constantly think about them. As it normally happens when God tests me, he proves his faithfulness soon after - I was given a watch of the identical brand for Christmas that may be even better than the one I parted with.Even with all the joy and happiness I see while there, it is always emotionally draining. There are still so many needs to be met and I sometimes feel inadequate to continue the mission. We have come a very long way so far - the goat farm's bricks have been completely fired and the area is under construction, the hen house is mostly built and there is an area for seamstresses to work. We still have a long way to go however, as we pursue more funding to complete the goat farm, purchase goats and continue the other projects while still trying to provide for the many orphans, widows and church members that struggle on a day-to-day basis. I wish to thank everyone who has so generously donated funding or gifts to the mission - please know that every bit of it has made an impact. I also thank everyone who has prayed for Kolpele and the orphanage. If you know of anybody that may be interested in this work, please feel free to forward it on. As always, if you wish to donate you can visit the Peace Gospel International Chad site, or contact me directly. My next visit will be in February.
