Christmas — the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ in a stable outside an inn in the town of Bethlehem. A time of love, peace, and harmony.
Christmas in Guatemala is celebrated in a very special way — streets, homes, and businesses begin setting up all kinds of representative motifs of the season, multicolored lights, and all kinds of creative adornments, especially red. It’s all very festive.
Throughout the last month of the year, firecrackers and fireworks of all kinds thrill children — even more so on the 24th, 25th, and 31st of December. On January 1, fireworks are lit all day and all night, making the day something truly unique and special.
Unfortunately, many Guatemalan children don’t have the opportunity to celebrate this time of year because they live in desperately poor areas, beset by violence and the lack of progress. They live where Christmas doesn’t exist.
We know most of the children at Dorie’s Promise have previously, personally lived this situation, so that’s the reason we want to make this season something special for them. Every year our children have 
been blessed — several sponsors have made it possible to celebrate Christmas, reminding the children of the real reason behind the season and giving them a fun time full of surprises.
Throwing a Christmas party for the children fills us with excitement and joy. This year we made an invitation card for each child — they received them two days before the celebration. From that moment, their curiosity was peaked and their excitement began to build. In addition, every boy and girl got a completely new outfit to wear to the party; they were very grateful and couldn’t wait to wear it!
When the big day came, the children went down to the backyard, were a huge Pirate Ship Jumping Castle was waiting for them. Immediately they got in — and the FUN began!!!
They also had grilled hot dogs and a sundae they got to prepare at an ice cream bar.
Right before the piñata, they had a visit from Princess Elsa, Princess Aurora, Superman, and a funny clown! They were really surprised, and the kids began to hug them. Each child also received 
a Christmas gift — they were ALL excited about their new toys. The celebration ended with the piñata and their pockets filled with candy!!
They really had a great time! We want to thank the sponsors who gave above and beyond to make this special Christmas party possible, as well as the mission team who helped us put the celebration on. We hope you notice the delight on the children’s faces and know that you made a true difference in their lives.
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