What a Christmas gift!!!!

Gareth is very sick, he is anemic, he needs  blood transfusion were the words his father whispered in tears!!!!   This Christmas will always be special. Its the first my children have  spent without their Dad at home but locked up in one horrible prison for talking against violation of human right. Its also the first I felt the impact of encouragement and of belonging to the World Pulse sisterhood as I got so many lovely messages from our sisters. I want to thank you all especially my beloved Jill who continuously checked on me and the children. You showed us so much unconditional love!!! Thank you so so much my dear. It was also special because I got a perfect gift on Christmas day at about 7pm , a sick little boy who was very anemic and had been rushed to my house from the village. Little Gareth happen to be the first son of a girl who lived with me about six years ago. My husband travelled to the village for a ceremony and one of their neighbors approach him with 10years old girl and begged him to bring her to live with us and continue her school which he did. When he arrived home I looked at him in disbelief. My house was full. It was as if I was operating a charity home. But then I thought of the joy that comes with giving someone hope and accepted. Her name was Median. She was a little retarded, finding it hard with book work and so she had to learn a trade in dress making. It took her about 5 years but she finally graduated.

We bought her a sewing machine and she lived with us until she was 18years old. She decided she wanted to go back to the village and establish a workshop. At first I tried to discourage her but she insisted so I gave in. We gave her some money to buy the sewing accessories she needed and pocket allowance to sustain her until she settled down. I missed her so much. She had become part of the family so it was hard for my children I. She eventually got married and gave birth to a baby boy which she name Gareth after my son in appreciation of all that we did for her. Six months ago she gave birth to twins (a boy, and a girl).  Little Gareth became sick on the 23rd in the morning. He was taken to the village health post and was diagnosed with malaria and anaemia. So the father had to travel with him for two days on bad roads to Bamenda were i live and they arrived my home on Christmas evening. That day my daughter Therese had invited her friends to spend Christmas with us. After spending quality time  with them I felt tired coupled with the thought of my husband not being with us. I decided to get some rest. About 7pm I heard a hard knock on my door. We all panicked and I thought to myself" Not again my God" On opening the door I saw Median's husband carrying little Gareth on his back. My heart melted as i took the little boy from him. He was looking tired, pale and hungry. I asked Therese to give him a bath while I prepared food for both of them. 

It was late and unsafe to drive to the hospital and the ambulance call out services are hopeless out here. During our night prayers I spontaneously altered the words"Lord I thank you for my perfect Christmas gift Gareth" I couldn't sleep that night. I found myself going to the guest room every 30 minutes to check on him. About 2am I asked his dad if I could bring him to my room and he accepted. He also needed some good sleep. I had not done this kind of "baby sitting" for many years especially as my last (Therese) is 10 years old.  I brought them to hospital on the 26th were he is being treated now and is responding well. I call him my perfect Christmas present because I had planned to visit the orphanage with my children to spend Christmas with some children with disabilities  living there. Unfortunately I could not mobilise enough resources to do so. I worked so hard on my beaded shoes production and sales but it was not enough as there are forty children with disabilities living there. I felt really disappointed. I really wanted to touch lives in a special way this Christmas. Its been hard work bringing food to them at least twice a day and checking on them everyday. But I just thank God he gave me the opportunity to touch a live through Gareth and that is why I call him my perfect Christmas gift. I am not giving up on the orphanage program. I look forward to doing so sometime this year.