Home for Christmas
Something about Christmas makes the heart turn toward home.
It’s no different in the Philippines. All year long, kids at Happy Horizons Children’s Ranch look forward to celebrating Christmas. Because for various reasons these rescued children can’t be with their own families, Christmas at HHCR needs to feel like a family celebration. Most of these kids have never enjoyed a healthy and positive family life; many have felt like outsiders looking in as other families celebrated with love, joy, and gifts.
For this reason, as Ranch staff members make sure every child hears and understands the Christmas story—that God the Father loves us so much that He gave us His best gift, His Son Jesus—they also ensure that every child feels loved and wanted. That’s why there are lots of opportunities for the kids to get involved.
They reenact the nativity story and learn songs and Scripture verses about Jesus being Emmanuel—God with us.
A television station in the Philippines has a tradition of writing a new Christmas song with a music video every year. The Ranch kids love to learn and sing the new song. They perform their own presentations of the song on Christmas Day.
The children also form groups to develop and present their own creative performances based on that year’s Christmas theme. They always include Jesus and God’s Word in their performances.
Although some gifts are given, in the spirit of Christmas, the focus is a lot more on Jesus and getting together and a lot less on gifts.
While everyone enjoys the Christmas parties, special food (a whole roasted pig, cooked vegetables, fruit dessert, and warm chocolate rice), games, programs, decorations, music, contests, gifts, and prizes, HHCR is reaching its goal of making Christmas at the Ranch a family celebration. It has truly become home for the kids—no matter how grown up they are. Every year, former Ranch kids—many now with their own children—ask to come back and be part of the HHCR family Christmas celebration.
As you think of your own home Christmases of the past, remember those children who are longing to feel truly home—loved, wanted, and secure—for Christmas. The love and kindness of compassionate friends of Asia’s LittleOnes make “I’ll be Home for Christmas” more than a song or a dream for kids at HHCR.
You can provide lifelines for vulnerable children in Asia Pacific. Here are 100 ways!