Christmas For The Mission Kids

Every year, the Eastern States Club (people who emigrated from states east of the Mississippi, except for Ohio, Michigan and New England) have a special Christmas turkey dinner for the kids from the San Xavier Mission School.

The 1st through 4th graders are Native Americans , with a few excetions, and are the sweetest kids, and most grateful, you'll ever meet.

This is James. I paid for his dinner. He brought me a hand-made card and gave it to me when he arrived. The club gives each kid a bag at their seats with a pad of sticky notes, a pencil, a candy cane and a frisby (for boys) and a jump rope (for the girls).

They love the sticky notes! I brought home about six of them. "Thank you for paying for my dinner." "Merry Christmas." "I love you."

After dinner, the kids put on a production of the Christmas story, beautiful songs, narrators, costumes and Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Jesus must be glued into his creche!

Eventually, Santa comes and every child receives a present from the club. It's a heart-warming night for all involved. There was enough money left over from the money raised from all of our raffles through-out the winter meetings and the donations for the dinner that we were able to give the principal an additional $800.

We all, the kids and the adults, look forward to the Mission School Christmas in Green Valley.