Christmas Dinner 2011

Dec 14, 2011

Practicing their skits, plays and songs for a month, Kids Club kids arrived for a final run-through. Everyone wore their best slacks, skirts, dresses and blouses with hair nicely combed or curled. This was a very special event! Their parents would be coming to see their performance and the fruit of their labors. The fourth and fifth graders had prepared a play on the nativity story. Everyone donned their costumes, from angel to King Herod, and got in place. The first through third graders began arriving excited and feeling special as they climbed onto the stage to practice their songs.

Parents began to arrive dressed for a nice evening and respite away from a week of work and life stresses. Curtains rose and the play began. Every line was read with decision, every movement was made in character. They were amazing as they retold the story of Jesus’ birth and God’s promise realized. They became a part of God’s miraculous story. Kids came off stage asking how they had performed. The sense of accomplishment was plain on their faces. Then the little ones went up to sing. They filled their lungs and sang confidently accompanied by a flurry of colorful motions. Not one sang quietly or moved timidly. Everyone was confident, trusting in their abilities and all the practicing they had done with Ms. Emily. They were equipped to succeed and one could even see their confidence in their walk onto stage. Even the child who usually doesn’t like to sing, sang with a big smile in front of an audience with both his parents and brother watching. The LIT (Leaders in Training) kids prepared their own skit and performed it with such talent. They were given the option of reading their lines, but without being asked, they all memorized their lines and acted the skit out (in Spanish) with enthusiasm. That is LIT excellence.

After a short message by Pastor Mario and worship songs in Spanish, everyone lined up for the potluck feast! Families, volunteers, mentors, kids–the whole Casa Chirilagua family lined up to share a celebratory dinner. The Christmas Dinner was a fitting end to a year full of God’s blessings.

We are a community of people “learning together to love our neighbors as ourselves” in a Latino neighborhood in Alexandria, Virginia.

As a faith-based Christian non-profit with a small staff and over 100 volunteers, we serve alongside more than 100 families and their children (1st-12th grades) each week through our community programs.

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Our relational network of volunteers and donors reflects a diverse group of individuals from all over the Washington, D.C. metro area. As a non-profit, we rely on the community for assisting program directors on-site, being mentors, supplying the needs of our food pantry, and everything in between. Each member of our Casa community holds a unique gift, whether time, talent or treasure.