What an exciting Christmas! Thanks to the Lighthouse International Missions NGO and all your donations to Shalom, Papa, Mama Carmen and Paloma could plan numerous projects. Thanks also to Tamme, Javier, and the american team helpers that made all the activities be a success. As you can see in the video (link to video), both big and small had a blast…, and their joy is so contageous!
1.- Swimming lessons. This was without doubt the highlight of the year. Enjoy this video! (link to video). All the wet and fun hours spent at the pool and the great improvements made, were worth all the work involved in this activity. The children are already impacient waiting for more swimming lessons. Thanks to Eileens Lodge, we will plan this activity once a year and hopefuly all children will learn to swim. Thanks family Boestrom and friend Tina for funds.
2.- Papa Klaus brought to Shalom a donation of laptops from John Deere Holland. Programs were installed (accounting, windows, office, etc.) and he gave us lessons and tutorials. Klaus also bought chairs, tables and a whiteboard to create a study room. Our college children have now their so wished and needed laptops for their studies. Thank you so much John Deere!
Laptops donation from John Deere Netherlands 
Tutorials 
Trainings
Accounting lessons 
setting up the laptops with George and Baraka… 
…for our college students
3.- Paloma came very well prepared with Christmas activities and presents for big and small. We baked cakes and cookies, made christmas houses, played fun new games, learned to make puzzles, drew Christmas cards and wrote letters to sponsors.
We also celebrated Birthdays parties with music, balloons and cakes made by us. Some special wished meals were prepared with, pineapple, mango, bananas, pizza, chicken and chips, chocolate sandwiches, popcorn, juices,… etc. Big thanks to Juliana and Witness for the hard work and Lola from Spain for funds.
4.- Our artists Emmanuel and Samwel, helped Paloma to create the beautiful world map for the new renovated TV room. Thanks for funds brother Hermann and Joaquin!
5.- Shalom’s library is finally real :)) Mama Carmen bought english and school text books and we covered all with protection covers. Javier and Loveness prepared a complete inventary and the rules for use of books. The carpenter built doors and locks to some shelves and now books and laptops can be stored in a secure place.
buying text books 
preparing the inventory 
covering the books 
new door and lock 
secure storage
6.- New chairs were made for Justin and Deborah, as well as a walker. All sofas were completely repaired.
Justin 
Deborah 
new chairs 
old chair 
after 
repairs 
before
7.- Day trips to Ngorongoro and Tarangire NP, thanks to our friends and loving family Brockelbank. They also took us out for pizza and gave each of us some useful Christmas presents.
8.- Sharing Christmas presents with the most poor of the poor. After a clean up session in the storage, we selected overstock of color pencils, marbels, papers, coloring books, etc. and baked christmas cookies to also be distributed in the village, hospital and school. Thanks Daniel and Omary for the transport of these hundreds of bags.
preparing bags with presents 
with big… 
…and small helpers 
