Two years ago today, will mark the anniversary of the day I began my journey with Bridges of Hope. People often talk about something being larger than life. For me, Bridges of Hope is just that - a journey of a community that is larger than one life but can give hopes and dreams and life to people all around the world. Christmas is the season to celebrate life and the gifts that God blesses us with every day. I woke up early this morning and thought, what on earth could I possibly pack into a suitcase that would share the spirit of Christmas and love with my family and friends in Winnipeg. I was stumped. Growing up, I saw Christmas as time to really show the ones I love how much I care. How can you exercise your heart to truly show someone how much you care?
Some people, like my mom work tirelessly to help other people, whether it is through teaching students, extending a warm hand of help during a time of need or volunteering her services when no one else will step in. My father, retired from one of his jobs as a teacher, continues to work to serve some of the world's greatest needs, through his patience and unwavering commitment to DO justice - to fill that gap which is so dearly needed. Whether it is by lending his talents and gifts of music to lift the spirits of so many communities or by helping my mom in her mad rush to finish her grading before the marks have to be in, or by supporting me to go to Rwanda when all of his best instincts told him otherwise, he continues to be a voice of unending love. My dad is someone who strives to promote the dignity and potential of everyone in his daily life and invests his heart and soul to empower people to be all they can become. I wondered this morning, how could I really give a gift to my loved ones and embrace the spirit of love and joyful trumpets this Christmas. I decided to spread the love even further than from Lethbridge to Manitoba, but to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Ontario, Quebec and Latvia where my friends and relatives live, but perhaps most significantly to Rwanda in East Africa.
This Christmas, I am embracing the true meaning of the season and sponsoring a child in a small rural community in Rwanda, a country where Christmas shopping can entail buying a bottle of clean drinking water. I wonder what it would look like if everyone sponsored a child to connect with their community this Christmas. It is not a gift that will be returned on Boxing Day, nor is it a gift that doesn't include batteries. My sponsorship of this little girl in Rwanda gives a rechargeable gift of life to those I love and to a community in a remote area of the world where the gift of joy can mean the difference between life and death.
There is a saying that when you leave Rwanda, a piece of your heart will always remain there. Even now, as I can look out upon the white snow and Christmas lights shining in the houses on my street in Alberta, I am longing for that sense of community which I felt embraced with in Rwanda. People who you don't even know, welcoming you into their homes for lunch - not because you are a friend but because they want to embrace a stranger. I wonder what it would look like if we embraced a stranger this Christmas season. The warmth and goodwill would light up more than a Christmas tree - you would be turning the Christmas lights on with a gift of life by sponsoring another child. Most of us already have that special someone, a parent, a daughter, a grandson, or a cherished pet who can warm your heart. Many of us already sponsor a child and in so doing are giving the gift of life to their community. What would it look like to sponsor one more child on behalf of your family and friends? To be the agent of healing to teach them to embody love, mercy and justice and to exercise our hearts in the greatest way possible - to promote the health and wellbeing of people who do not enjoy the luxury of many Christmas presents under a tree and a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. What would it mean to share with your loved one the true meanings of the holidays and to live and embrace those principles to show our children and grandchildren? To feel the Christmas spirit reaching out in abundance. To develop relationships with others instead of toys - to learn to love others instead of plastic.
During this Christmas season and throughout the new year, I encourage you to embark on a new journey with Bridges of Hope - to volunteer your greatest gifts and talents to meet the world's greatest need.
Celebrate Christmas and bring in the New Year by reaching out with the gift of life.
Happy Holidays,
Melanie Tomsons
Bridges of Hope International Network of Development Agencies Inc.
