A Christmas to share in Morelos, Mexico

Stephan Larriva

For the last eight years the patients from the state-run children’s hospital “Hospital Niño Morelense” have enjoyed a Christmas party planned and organized by the volunteers of “La Familia de Morelos” in conjunction with the hospital’s own “voluntarios”. This year we were able to once again give these dear children and their families a wonderful Christmas to remember! Many of the patients in Hospital Niño Morelense are children of the very poorest families in the State of Morelos. They come from miles around, from many of the small villages, to receive treatment and often have nothing but the clothes on their backs. Christmas presents and entertainment are the furthest thing from their minds as they struggle with day to day survival, which is why the party we were able to organize for the patients and their families was so special!

There was a fabulous puppet show, and snacks, treats and goodies were part of the fun. A highlight of the program was when each child (both the sick children and their visiting siblings) received a gift package filled with various activity books (generously sponsored by Activated Ministries), as well as crayons, paints, colored pencils and a art tablet. It was heart-touching to see them line up quietly to receive their gifts. The joy on their faces, as well as the gratefulness on their parent’s faces, made it worth all the work that went into organizing this party!

The other big event was held the day before King’s Day, on January 6th at the beautiful hotel Villas de Conquistador. We have organized a King’s Day party for orphans yearly for the last 6 years. About 80 children attended this event, along with 18 volunteers and they were treated to a very special day. The event included a delicious meal of pizza, french fries, juice, cake and goodies and candy for all. Many of the hotel staff volunteered their time to serve the meal and interact with the children. They gave us the use of one of their conference rooms and the children were entertained by a very funny clown show. Each child went home with their very own present – a gift bag filled with activity books and art supplies. All in all, this Christmas we were able to distribute 1,015 books sponsored by Activated Ministries to orphans and children of very low income families. We are so grateful for the help and support of Activated Ministries for helping us make their Christmas extra special!