Butterflies and Christmas

If you have watched Glee Season 2 (and in the privacy of reading this blog, I will not force you to admit to this fact), you may remember a quote from the character Rachel Berry when introducing the Halo/ Walking On Sunshine mash-up. Rachel says, "...because if there's two things that America needs right now, that is sunshine and optimism! [Pause.] And angels."

Yeah, so... here's my thesis for today: maybe we all need a little sunshine and rainbows; balloons and butterflies?!

Yesterday six of our team went to visit the Drug Detention Center to celebrate Christmas. For the first hour in the morning, we had a football skills program. There were four small groups, 15 in each group, practicing running, dribbling, passing and heading skills. We had a short break, then divided into four groups again for Christmas songs, making Christmas cards, playing games and an explanation about Christmas. I led the singing; a song in English and a song in Khmer! Heng's discussion was focused on this 'new' festival (Christmas isn't a traditional Cambodian holiday). He talked about a new birth and the new possibilities of hope, joy, peace and forgiveness that come through Jesus' death and resurrection. In thinking about a symbol for this newness of life, Heng suggested a butterfly. So we made butterfly cards for Christmas! In the afternoon, we had a football tournament with four teams in the competition. I sat on the sidelines and chatted with people. Just after 3:30pm, we went back to the office and the male and females went back to their two locked rooms. It was a happy Christmas celebration!