Gifts - shopping, stitching, and so on!

I mentioned in my last post that one of the lists I made was for items to take for gifts.  Compassion suggests filling a backpack with items for your child, as well as taking gifts for the project centers we would visit.  I had many ideas for things to take, because I had also been reading posts on “Our Compassion” written by people who had already gone on sponsor tours, and who had great suggestions. 

Because I was planning to take only one checked bag (which could weigh up to 50 pounds), my carry-on suitcase, and a rather large purse as my "personal item" on the flight, I knew I wanted to think carefully about each item I took! 

I could have opted to pay for another large checked bag, but I was thinking about how I would manage by myself during my overnight in Miami, and especially at the airport in Port-au-Prince.  Now that I have experienced it, I am glad I had only one large bag to handle, and was pretty pleased with how much I managed to fit in.  However, several people in our group had two suitcases and managed fine as well.  We all helped each other in the rather chaotic baggage claim area in Port-au-Prince!

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are photos of some of the things I took for gifts:

The “stitching” part of this post’s title is because I bought a doll for Kimberlie and sewed clothes for her.  Kimberlie had recently sent me a photo of herself wearing a dress she bought with birthday money I had sent her.  Since it was red gingham, a fabric I knew I could get, I thought it would be fun to make a matching dress for the doll.  It might seem  silly to say this, but I’m no great seamstress and I had to make my own patterns for this doll.... and it went so well, I felt like God helped me do it (quite a few prayers were said by me during the process)!  

Kimberlie's doll and the photo (on the left) of her wearing her birthday dress.

I also enjoy crocheting and when I was looking for ideas of small gifts I could take for other people (like project center workers) I saw some cross bookmarks.  The ones I saw were white, but I decided to make mine all different colors.  They were a little personal gift I could take that didn’t take up much room or weight in my suitcase.

People I gave them to seemed pleased, and I also sent a box of them with Kimberlie to give out back home at her project center.  (The sponsored children travel to meet their sponsors at one location).

This lady, who works at project center HA-778, hung her cross on her blouse. Our bus driver hung his on the bus rear- view mirror.

Another gift idea I had was to take something that Kimberlie could take back to her project center to give to the other children.  I called Compassion and they told me 203 children were currently registered at her center.  I bought 240 lollipops (from the bulk candy bin at my local grocery store), and my good friend, Sue, helped me make special paper circles to decorate each one with a flower, heart and tiny cross!  I gave the package of them to Kimberlie’s project center worker.  I hope the children enjoyed them!

All 240 lollipops fit in this bag!