It is always received with mixed feelings whenever the boys announce with much glee and delight that there is a school holiday (there seems to be an awful lot of them!): the feeling of joy, empathy with the boys…and the feeling of ‘woe is me, what a brood!”

So it was for the Christmas holidays this year. Ten of the 34 boys had some family to go to. The other 24 stayed with us at the Udaya Nakshatra (Morning Star) Home for Boys. With those 10 boys absent it seemed like a ghost town around here, um, somewhat. There is a brief break in the action right now as the boys are out collecting cow and buffalo dung for our vegetable garden—a good time to get a letter out to wish you a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and give you a few of the highlights of our Christmas season.

Jesus’ Love

We had the privilege of sharing Jesus’ love by distributing gifts to fifteen needy families (about 50 persons). They are migrant workers—entire families, men, women, children—who are employed digging ditches along the roadside while the smallest children play in mounds of dirt. They toil all day in the hot sun and return dusty and dirty to their camp and the small tents in which they live. Each family received a packet consisting of 1kg (2.2 lbs.) of rice, 1kg of wheat flour, 1kg of sugar, one liter of cooking oil, one packet of tea, and soap for bathing and washing clothes. We did this under the cover of night so as not to be noticed by the higher castes and accused of “coerced conversions”—a necessary ploy in this Hindu culture which sees the lot of the poor as nothing more than their “karma.”

Protected or Persecuted?

On account of some Catholic churches and institutions being attacked last year, the state government provided us (et al) police protection for Christmas Day, 2009. The policeman sent was very friendly and asked the boys a lot of questions about the home and about the foreign priest. In the evening we had a Christmas party and program with singing, dancing, skits, games, prizes. Many of our Catholic and Muslim (children) neighbors attended.

Dead of Winter

The day after Christmas we set out early and had a swim in the Arabian Sea and a picnic at the beach. The boys were a little chilled as it was the coldest day of winter so far: 79 degrees. We’re more accustomed to the mid-80’s. On the way home we met a Russian tourist who told us that it had been 32 below zero when she left home. How can we properly explain that kind of cold to these boys of the tropics? They are growing up on a banana plantation!

Once again, a very Blessed Christmas Season to you and a Happy New Year full of hope in Jesus’ love and mercy!

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