Celebration & Business

A few days after our initial welcome from our St. Brendan’s students, we gathered them together to give them their gift bags so thoughtfully and carefully prepared by generous donors.

The girls were delighted to receive the gifts and appreciated every item. They enjoyed showing each other the clothing items, comparing various types of lip balm and discussing the book that was included in each bag. Of all the items that were in the bag, the hoodie was far and away the biggest hit. We saw several of the hoodies at church the following Sunday – even though temps were in the 80’s and we were sweating!

Thank you, shoppers; you did a superb job.

On Saturday afternoon, I (Maggie) met one-to-one with each Bakhita girl who is attending St. Brendan’s. We want them to know that it is through the generosity of many people that they are able to attend a boarding school like St. Brendan’s. It is a great gift to girls who have had so many struggles in their lives.

At this meeting, I talked about our commitment to them but also about their commitment to the people who are investing in them. I want them to know that many, many people care for them and wish them a bright future.

It was time well-spent as we learned more about each girl and the various hardships that she faces. They also appreciated the chance to discuss their needs – both material and emotional. All-in-all, the one-to-one meetings were a great success . . . but they could never match the success of the hoodie!