From Melissa Medlin’s blog:
Just a week and a half away…I can’t believe our Christmas program isalready coming up. I wanted to try my best to get these kids prepared for thebest Christmas program ever! 
When I was younger, the Christmas program wasalways the highlight of the Christmas service at church. I love the feeling youget remembering and celebrating Christ’s birth.
We have been working on our Christmas program for almost 2months; learning our lines, songs and dances, sewing costumes, paintingbackdrops. It has definitely has been a busy and overwhelming. At times I havewished that it would just be over so I could get a little rest between all thesewing, fabric dying, hot glueing, painting and homework. However, today whenwe were finishing up the last backdrop, a huge relief came over me. Along withthat, rehearsal for the play went perfect yesterday! Where there were badattitudes of “this is ALL we EVER do”, they were replaced with goodattitudes of “this is almost here, let’s work hard and get things done”.
I have had the privilege, lately, to stay extra late to workwith 5 of the older girls on a ribbon dance. We finally finished thechoreography yesterday! As they were rehearsing, they looked like they weretrying to remember each step and it wasn’t flowing together very well. Itlooked more like work than dancing. So I stopped the girls and we talked alittle bit about the music, “Star of Wonder”, by Sufjan Stevens. Iasked them what the song was about and Thalia answered “It’s a Christmassong about the Christmas star that the Reyes Magos (Wisemen) followed”.Then we talked a little about what Christmas was, what we were celebrating withour Christmas program, how the different people went to adore Christ the nightthat He was born and how dancing is a form of worship. I told them to put inall of that emotion and dance for the Lord. The last time we practiced ourdance….it looked AMAZING! I am sooo in awe of how much talent these girlshave! They are good at EVERYTHING! But maybe I am biased….
But maybe I am biased….
Today after we finished up the last backdrop, Mami Inesasked me for some help cutting Edison’s hair. They had messed up a little bitand they weren’t sure how to fix it. I went down to try to teach them how toblend in the lines. I thought of the very first time I came to Casa de Fe inMarch of 2008. Ines was there helping me cut hair the very first time. Justthinking back on all the time I’ve spent with these kids and these people inShell gave me this overwhelming, blessed feeling, That same feeling you getwhen you think of your family and all the memories over the years. The ups andthe downs. I can’t say enough how thankful I am for this family. Even theteenage attitudes. I never knew thatso much love could come from one small organ that fits inside your body.
I never knew thatso much love could come from one small organ that fits inside your body.
God exceeds my expectations everyday. He fills me with somuch love so that I know how much I am loved by Him. No matter if I give Him abad teenaged attitude, His love for me never changes. His love is bigger thanthis great love that I have inside of me. That’s so incomprehensible! But I amso grateful for all of it…and for everything He has done for me…and for myfamily…here and in the States.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. I forgot to mention that on Thanksgiving Day we were ina parade! I will post some pictures below! We got to dress up in traditionalQuechua clothing and do a dance from a town called Otavalo. That was anotherthing that we practiced A LOT. Everything turned out great! While the olderkids and teachers did the dance in the parade, the younger kids got to choosewhat they want to be when they grow up…and they rode in a float dressed astheir chosen profession. We had a doctor, nurse, vet, firefighter, baker,ballerina, military, pilot…ect. Everything turned out so cute!
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