If you haven’t been checking out my Facebook page (Connie Wieck), please do. There’s a lot reported. As a summary of the most recent post, let me walk you through our end-of-term performance night.

What a great ending to our term! After last week’s Christmas bingo with Jason’s visit, our students spent 2 days preparing for their performances as a closure to the last day of the term. Performances were done on stage with the following: Santi’s ABC learners did card tricks.my Level 1 gave all their classroom cheers with a finale of We Wish You a Merry Christmas with different motions; Shaloom’s Level 2 sang a song about peace and junior high did a short skit.

A special surprise entailed, for the first time, the staff doing a humorous rendition of Jingle Bells. If the students are required to perform, then it’s only fair we should, too.

Before leaving for the evening, we had a group picture, one quite formal . . .

and the other more expressive of our jovial mood of celebration.

We also added that if students wished, they could take home their Christmas tree ornaments from our Deck the Halls night. Some did while others decided to let theirs remain on the tree. As mentioned on my Facebook page, for a majority of the youth, this was the first time they’d ever decorated a tree, much less created on their own Christmas ornaments. With no tree at home to adorn, a few felt it more appropriate to grace our Center tree than just to take home and perhaps throw away. (I will note here that I did NOT throw away what worthy drawings were left when we took down the hall on Friday. I’ll save for next year, as examples to show new students.)

For the very last event, everyone lined up to select their end-of-term gifts: one Christmas window decal and two Christmas pencils.

For the decals, those were purchased with donations from you overseas supporters. As for the pencils, those are the ones many of you sent throughout the years to China for my college students. I was so relieved the moving company folk that packed up my boxes sent to Laos made sure everything was mailed, including all those hundreds of holiday pencils. They are being put to great use here, believe me!

As you can see, the students were hard pressed to choose which decal to take home with them and what Christmas pencil designs as well. There were so many to choose from.

If you’re interested in seeing the videos of our evening together, go to the Center’s Facebook page. Office manager Santi expects to have them loaded by Friday. (https://www.facebook.com/suntisouklvc)

The Next Task

Now it’s on to the next major task: Having the main hall re-roofed and all electrical work re-done to make it safe. I had the estimate done yesterday by the boss and his friend after they inspected the hall, took note of my asks and we collaborated on what needed done.

The construction crew boss said it’ll be about a 2-week project so we should have time to clean up before the new term starts on January 12. All I care about is safety. No more sparks flying from light fixtures, water gushing from ceiling panels during the rainy season and exposed wiring causing explosions. (Yes, I’ve had it all during the past year and am eager to NOT have any of that happen again.)

If we start this week or early next week, we should have time to get it taken care of in a timely manner before registration begins on January 5. Be looking for updates soon how our major task is going.

Until next report, here’s Winnie and myself saying Happy Holidays from Laos!