It might be a cold February day, but I hope your heart will be a little warmer when you read some excerpts from the thank you notes we’ve received from the families we adopted for Christmas.

I had prepared my children for a Christmas without presents. I reiterated daily how at this point in our lives, it would be negligent of me to spend money we didn’t have on Christmas. When I saw the amount of gifts for my children, I was overwhelmed. I have never known how touching or powerful the kindness of strangers could be. When my kids woke up Christmas morning and saw the many presents, they were shocked – screaming at 4:00 in the morning, but strangely enough they unwrapped their presents very slowly, loving every one.

I was trying to be happy so that my mom wouldn’t cry, but I was just pretending because it was a bad time. We were all trying to smile and think that we would get presents. And then Santa came, and my mom was crying, and I don’t know why because we got lots of presents. I got nice clothes and a CD player and a game and a stocking and candy. My favorite is a Razor, but I can’t ride it inside.

At Christmas I was worried about getting things for my children. When I saw all their gifts, I was shocked and then I wished I hadn’t spent so much time worrying about it. It is really nice that you helped us. My children went crazy, and we had to go outside so they could run around and calm down. Thank you for my gifts too. I didn’t think there would be gifts for me, too.

I live in a big house with a lot of people. We didn’t know that we would have a good Christmas, but we did. Santa brought me and all of us kids a lot of stuff, and we had fun. I was mad at my mother when we came here, but now I’m not.

Christmas was really nice. I got so much help. All of us moms got together one night before Christmas, and we got to see our children’s presents. We were wrapping things together. It was a sense of family that I don’t have now. It’s going to make me cry to think of it. Thank you for your help.

It is such a joy and a privilege to be a part of this community that really strives to follow Jesus in the ways we live.

Leigh Ann Hawkey