Countdown to Christmas

Naively I assumed that the Christmas season in Sudan would be slower than in the States.  Au contraire, mon frère.  While not characterized by endless trips to the mall, crowded parking lots, and frantic shoppers, the past few weeks here have been busier than usual.  Dennis and Johnson, his foreman, spent last week running errands in Uganda.  Yes, they had to drive to another country to go to the bank, pick up mail at the post office, and buy food, tools, and other supplies.  Meanwhile, back at the ranch preparations are underway for all the Christmas festivities.  

The Christmas tree is up in the dining hall and the kids are enthralled with it.

Some of the older girls decorated more than 500 cookies for Christmas Eve dinner.

Mama Lilly spent a couple days sorting through shoes to pass out to all the kids on Christmas morning.  Sizing 150 kids' feet is ridiculous.

A local bank chose to give Harvesters a small Christmas donation of flour, sugar, cooking oil and soda.  (I'm sorry bank manager for this very unflattering picture of you.) 

One of the bank employees meets the secondary school boys.  

I leave you with Bida and Hannah who remind you to take your "bite-a-mins."  

Merry Christmas.