Merry Christmas to you all

Firstly a slightly belated but none the less heartfelt Merry Christmas to you all. We have had a wonderful few days of celebration and now it is time to catch our breath somewhat.
Since I  last wrote we have been busy with the holidays and preparations for Christmas. The last week before the big day was spent in preparing our Christmas Pageant with the children. We had 75 children to include and managed it thanks to many being 'stars'(about 30) and sheep (6) and shepherds (7, good ratio of sheep to shepherds eh!) and angels (15) plus other usual parts. We presented a musical called 'Long, Long Ago' which involved about 10 children playing instruments at different times and was a neat play able to involve them all throughout. We started rehearsals on Monday morning and met each morning from 9 till 10.30 and it came together well though we were pretty 'knackered' at the end of it. Those who know us and our Christmas plays throughout the years will know of our love for a person dressed up in a gray blanket as a donkey, well that tradition is alive and well in Uncle Bosco who performed magnificently. We have tried to post some photos, unsuccessfully to date but we will keep trying.
Before that week we had spent some time preparing shoeboxes to be given out. On the Wednesday leading up to Christmas we were invited to take 20 of our children to the Queen of Buganda's Christmas party to give out shoeboxes to the children there. We took over 550 shoeboxes and at the end of a wonderful days party we distributed them all. It was a long day(we got home about 10pm) but was very rewarding.
We also spent time earlier in finding Christmas clothes for all the children in the home from the containers, and also provided 10 items of clothing for all of the workers in the compound. Then the parents who had been helping throughout the year were able to come and pick clothes also so we were able to clear some space from the containers which I am sure will be able to be filled up again. Out of all the containers of shoeboxes we are left with about 50 boxes left which will be handy for any special cases which may occur in the next few days. It has been very rewarding to provide these gifts to others, thanks to those who provide them.
Marilyn helped Reny and others to wrap over 500 Christmas presents for the children for Christmas day, each child got 5 gifts in the afternoon. A chaotic but exciting event. Our Christmas dinner was a barbeque with meat patties, sausages, chicken, chapatis, coleslaw, a bun and a banana, a veritable feast washed down with the obligatory soda.
Boxing Day, known as second Christmas here, was another great day. We had our Christmas concert, a presentation of dancing and singing by the children. It was wonderful to see the talent that the children have and are willing to share. They had movie in the afternoon and again had supper outside, with another soda of course. All in all we have all had a very good two days.
Piet and Pita returned to NACMU exactly one month after their ordeal in South Africa and we were able to have a wonderful service of thanksgiving for their safe return. They are still quite traumatised by it all and Pita has low energy levels so spent a week back in hospital in Kampala to rest. Piet is also emotionally drained but they were both determined to be here for Christmas and I believe it has been a tonic for them both. We even got our 'Christmas baby' yesterday, a boy we have named Klaus who is about 10months old, abandoned and in need of medical care but he is progressing well so far.
As I write this Marilyn is battling another dose of malaria, we have caught it early so hopefully she should be fully recovered by the weekend, but we are both very tired so please pray for us and for Piet and Pita for extra energy.
It was great for us to be able to talk to Chris, Jen and Pete on Christmas day as well as other family and we are looking forward to getting together in February when we visit NZ for 6 weeks. We have the holidays to get through first though.
Better finish here, will try to write more often when time/power/internet/energy allows.
Till next time, God Bless