Dear Family,
We would like to share what our family did for the Bates 2011 Christmas service project.
Kresta teaches the 11 year old girls in primary. She asked the girls about their plans for Christmas. One particular girl commented that they didn’t have much this year and that she wasn’t expecting much for Christmas. After hearing this comment, Kresta knew, right away, that this is the family that we should serve.
We have known this girl’s family since we moved to Yakima six years ago. Her parents were converts to the church and they had adopted three children and brought them into their home. Eventually, they moved to Oregon for a job opportunity. A few years later, this particular family moved back to Yakima. There was a problem, though. Her father had not returned with them. He had become inactive and left the church. He also kicked his wife and children out of their home and stayed back in Oregon. Now, her mom is struggling to raise three children on her own without a lot of money or support. Not only is she struggling financially, but she is also struggling emotionally.
We wanted to help this family have a good Christmas despite their difficult circumstances. Early in December we decided to give them a gift card to use to buy presents. We secretly left this gift card, which was nestled in a basket of goodies, at their front door. Shortly after we left the gift at their doorstep, the mother wrote on Facebook that she appreciated the kindness of the “Christmas Angel” that left the package.
We enjoyed this opportunity to anonymously help another family. This has been such a great experience for our family. We have decided that we would like to do this every year. We have been very blessed and our family has been watched over. With those blessings, we can help others as they navigate through life’s struggles.
We hope that you all have had great experiences as you have served others. Please share your experiences if you would like.
Love,
Justin, Kresta, Madison, Sam, & Morgan
Thanks Justin and Kresta for organizing this and for your story about the family you shared with. We had a similar experience.
We have a family in our ward with seven kids - ranging from 6 months to 14 years. When we moved here, about 6 months ago, the husband and father left the church and also left them. I can't help but think about Mom with us seven kids all about the same age range and how difficult it would be to have your husband walk out on you, left to figure it all out. (Thanks, Dad, for being so awesome) :) They are really an incredible and deserving family. All the kids are sweet and well-behaved. They dress very simply. I overheard that one little girl was wearing hand me downs from her older brother. I work with the oldest girl in young womens and she is very mature and spiritual. She has read the Book of Mormon several times and is currently reading it in Spanish for a project.
We knew we wanted to help in some way this Christmas. It was overwhelming to think that they need a lot and our small donation wouldn't even make a dent. I also heard that they were really excited to celebrate Christmas this year. The father in the past had put restrictions on what they could and couldn't do at Christmastime, so they wanted to make it a special one. Luckily, our ward is really wonderful and all combined efforts. A friend organized the poem 'Twas the Night before Christmas into paragraphs with a needed item/items to accompany it. Families split up the days to do the 14 days of Christmas. This was our part
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow (gift card to grocery store with a big bow on it),
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
It was our turn on the 20th. I got the kids ready for bed, and we set out when Matt got home. Madeline insisted she wanted to go ring the doorbell with her daddy. We drove past the house, parked a ways away and Madeline and Matt took off. (Charlie and I happily watched from the car) :)
Pretty soon I saw Matt running pretty fast towards us and Madeline was bobbing up and down in his arms. Grateful for the Odyssey's automatic sliding doors - they jumped in the car. Matt was breathing pretty hard and had big eyes. I don't think he had doorbell-ditched in a while. It was a rush! We drove home happily, listening to Christmas Carols, looking at Christmas lights, and grateful for our blessings.
This was really fun to do and a good thing for our kids to see. I couldn't help think of Mr. Endtman. I am grateful our family all chose to be doing such good things at Christmastime.
Merry Christmas! We'll miss you all this year!
Love,
Mal, Matt, Madeline and Charlie
It was fun reading your stories, Justin and Malerie. I don't have a photo but I can tell you our experiences. It's interesting how these experiences just happen upon us when we desire them.
My VT partner and I just got a new route. There was a name on there I had never heard of, and it turns out that Mom used to be her seminary teacher. She is only 18, and she is very close to having a baby, and also has a tumor in her brain that needs to be removed right after she delivers. She is living with her boyfriend and father of the baby, and they have nothing, including nothing for the baby. They are living in a very small and mildewy trailer. So my VT partner Shilo, sent an e-mail out to the ward, and we got an amazing response. Everyone wanted to help. I went to the store and gathered some baby supplies, cleaning supplies, and some snacks. Then one evening we both took her loaded truck of donated items and our gifts to them. We chatted with them for a couple of hours about their needs, and they were very grateful for everything. Shilo said that this was such a blessing to her because having 3 little boys under 4 years old makes it hard to go do other types of service. I agreed. I think the Lord knows our situations and gives us opportunites to serve within our realm of ability.
Another opportunity was on Carson's home teaching route. He home teaches a lady about my age and her son who is 14 years old. He walked into their trailer to deliver some treats, looked around, and did not see one sign of Christmas. No tree, no decorations, and no gifts. While the boy was out of the room, he asked her if her son would be having a Christmas. She said, "No. He said he doesn't care." So, Carson and his home teaching companion made a plan. Our family would take care of the mom and Christmas Dinner (with roasting pan included), and his family would take care of the son. Shopping for the mom was fun, although I had never seen her and didn't know her likes so it was challenging. Carson kept explaining to me that they don't have anything. It's just kind of a hard thing to understand I guess. We got her a hat, scarf, a necklace, and gloves, some new dishes, glasses, and silverware, and then some bath and body stuff. I just wanted her to feel pretty and special. I'm sure it's hard to feel that way in a situation like hers :( Carson and Jackson went shopping for the Christmas dinner today. Our children have been very aware of both situations, humbled by it, and excited to help.
Carson and his companion will be delivering everything tomorrow.
Justin and Kresta, thank you for helping us to have this on our minds, which made it so much easier to follow through on our promptings to serve.
Love,
Jess and the rest of the McComas family
Thanks everyone for sharing your stories. We also don't have any photos of what we did, but still wanted to share. We are in Utah for the holiday, so wanted to try and do something before we left. Every year in our ward they do the "Giving Tree." During this season the Bishopric prepares a box with Christmas cards in them containing information on a person or family who is in need this holiday season. The card will state something like "30 Year old male along with something the person would like or need for Christmas. We don't know who they are, but it is still a fun opportunity to get some of these items knowing that it will make someone's Christmas happy and bright.
This year we took a couple of these cards and were able to help a couple people who were in need this holiday season. While we don't get to directly see the blessings brought to these families, it continues to help us keep in mind those who are less fortunate than we are in this season, as well as in many aspects of their lives. We are grateful for how fortunate we are and know that we are very blessed. It was humbling to see the large stack of giving tree cards that the Bishop had and wish that we could have done more for many more people.
We love all of you and wish you a merry Christmas. We are grateful for your continued prayers and know that we are very blessed and excited about the opportunities the lie ahead for us. We wish we could be with you. Thanks and may all your lives be blessed.
Brady, Bethanie, and Jadelyn.
We too loved the opportunity to think of families we know and come up with ideas of how we could make their Christmas a little brighter. Before Ryan left we choose two families who we wanted to put together a little basket for and leave anonymously. The first family is one that Ryan home taught. The father is deployed for a year and wont be home until March. The mother has had some health concerns on and off all year. They have three small children and Ryan and I have both tried to help this family in various ways throughout the year so we thought it would be nice to provide a Christmas treat for them. The second family also recently had the father deployed and upon coming home had to face the hardest trial of losing a child. They have five children, the two youngest were twins. One of the twins passed away suddenly. This families situation is one which pains us and we thought this small basket might show this family in a small way that they are loved. We put together a basket with a ham, a family game, hot chocolate, clementines, candy, a candle, chocolates, etc. It was great to discuss with the children why we were doing this and they got so excited. The kids loved getting ready to deliver these goodies. We waited until it was dark. Katelyn went with her grandpa to the first door. I was parked around the corner and have never seen a little girl run so hard around that corner. Tyler and Makenzie were next and again said their hearts were pounding. I think we were safe and were not discovered! :)
I am so grateful for the opportunity we had to think outside of our family. To be able to focus on the true meaning of this wonderful season. Christmas was a little different this year for our family and I had been thinking how it didn't feel quite like Christmas this year. However, as we were coming home Christmas Eve from delivering our packages it truly did feel like Christmas. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We love and miss you all.
On a side note I wanted to thank all of you for your love and support. We have truly felt the prayers and love pouring upon Ryan and I and the kids during this time we are apart. We can't thank you enough and feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family.
Love,
Ryan, Afton, and kids
Thank you, Justin and Kresta for your Christmas idea. It gave us all an opportunity to focus away from ourselves.
Our family chose to serve a single mom and her two teenage sons. (Sadly, single moms seem to be a theme in these stories.) She has been raising her sons singlehandedly since her former husband left the Church for an "alternative lifestyle." Not only has he chosen to abandon his family and the gospel, but his selfish choices have landed him in prison where he cannot provide any financial support for his children. The mom struggles to make ends meet, but she teaches her children to build their testimonies and to keep God's commandments. They are wonderful young men. We thought it would be nice for the the three of them to have something extra this Christmas.
Fiona, Meg and Soren chose to donate Christmas presents to Toys for Tots. They had more fun shopping and putting toys in the collection bin than they had on Christmas morning!
Thanks again for the happy service opportunity. Merry Christmas everyone!
Love, Sean, Jen, Fiona, Meg and Soren
Children,
This years’s Christmas family service project was quite unique for us. We did the usual of giving to a home teaching family who really need some extra cheer at this time of year but a couple of weeks before Christmas an opportunity was presented to us that was bitter sweet.
I received a call on my cell phone from Florida from the mother of a young woman, Chanin, mother of five who we Home Teach. She told me that the kids hadn’t seen their mother for a couple days and would I call the hospitals in the area. I had met Melanie once when she was here visiting her family. That phone call began a very traumatic and tragic couple of weeks for Chanin’s family and for Dad and I.
Within a couple of days, we found out that Chanin had been murdered within her own home. Melanie and Chanin’s brother, Steve, arrived in Spokane and we invited them to stay with us. We felt impressed to share with them our home where they could have some privacy and quiet and provide a sanctuary for them in this, unthinkable next few days.
The next week was filled with meals, letting them use our car at anytime, just listening to an angry and grieving mother and brother, providing a place for saddened children to visit their grandmother and uncle, hugs, a priesthood blessing, and sleepless nights. Domestic violence was highly suspected so that even complicated the feelings.
I experienced a fear of being alone because of the circumstances surrounding this crime. Having to reach for Heavenly Father through prayer and having Dad give me a blessing has given me peace and comfort.
We realized how fragile life is and that the gospel and it’s teachings are truly a comfort and promise in times like this. As this mother saw her daughter for the first time, I couldn’t help but stand back and put myself in her position. She had amazing courage and strength, which surely comes from the Comforter and her knowledge of the Plan of our Heavenly Father.
As Melanie was up very early one morning, unable to sleep, Dad reminded her of the power of the scriptures and encouraged her to open the Book of Mormon anywhere and find solace. She had our large family copy open on the table that week, searching for answers.
Steve, Chanin’s brother is not a member of the church but we feel that his association with the amazing people in the ward and being in our home might open some doors in the future. While he was here we prayed in our meal prayers for his wife and two little boys and I think that meant a lot to him.
We have seen the value of our Prophet’s counsel when we are asked to have daily scripture study, prayer, family home evening and church attendance. When those things are in place, we will be prepared to endure those trials that will surely come.
As we were experiencing this week, so many thoughts came to my mind of gratitude for amazing children who love each other and who have made wonderful right choices. We have been blessed beyond what we could expect or even dream of.
We love you all, Dad and Mom
Wow. I can't believe I'm actually the last one to post, and after Christmas, too! We had many great opportunities for service over the past couple of months - it was kind of fun to take notice of what opportunities did arise once we prayed about it . . .
Pre-Thanksgiving: The girls and I volunteered at the City-Wide Community Thanksgiving Dinner put on by the Spokane Women's and Children's restaurant. It was at Rogers High School and we spent about 5 hours there helping the children at the "craft" table. This was a first for my girls and very eye-opening. We were even able to go table to table and take some paper leaves for people to write down what they were thankful for - and everyone was thankful for something. Most of them said they were thankful for the warm gym and the wonderful food. We left feeling very grateful for our extravagant lifestyle.
Thanksgiving: We spent it in Conrad, Montana with Mike's extended family. His cousin and uncle own a restaurant - Joe's Family Steakhouse, in Conrad and on Thanksgiving they always do something to give back. They usually feed people and then they feed us. They took reservations for people to eat between 11 and 2, but they sent all of their staff home. So, we showed up at 9am and became "the staff." The older kids and Mike and I (everyone except Nora), set up tables, prepared coffee, set up the buffet, and learned all about being wait-staff. We were hopping! The girls seated everyone according to the reservation seating chart and kept the drinks coming. I managed them and helped in the kitchen. Mike and Jed were in the kitchen taking orders from Joe. By the time all reservations were gone and it was our turn to eat, we did all the dishes and were exhausted. EVERYTHING that Joe took in that day went to the local food pantry. The girls made $120 in tips, but donated all of it to the pantry, also. It was exhausting, but super fulfilling.
Christmas: We have a wonderful family in our ward who serves above and beyond. They have been out of work for a while. Because it is a sensitive situation, we sent them a large amount of gift cards (enough that it was hard for us), and stuck it in the mail without a return address.
Christmas: We followed the Bates tradition of 12 days of Christmas for a sister in our ward who told me she was lonely. It was so fun for the kids to pick out sweet little gifts for her and to hear her say, "Thank you little Santa's Elves" every time they dropped something off. This was a first for Mike. He had never ding-dong-ditched before. He was actually nervous his first time. We are going to continue to drop something off every Fast Sunday for her and keep it going.
That pretty much sums it up . . . . Thanks for the opportunity. What was great about this experience was for us to realize it was nice to have the challenge, but we are already doing so many of those kind of things and we are determined to keep doing it throughout the year.
We love you all! Brady, you're up . . . . be sure to give us a lot of notice! Cass, Mike, Jessamyne, Gabi, Caleb, and Nora
