LETTERS AND STATUS REPORTS
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF LITTLE LAMBS

• Greetings from Little Lambs (submitted December, 2008, by Barbara Benson)
  Christmas Greetings from His Little Lambs
  It’s getting very busy as Christmas approaches.
  Just before Thanksgiving we held our 2nd annual Gift Auction and Basket Bazaar. It was an evening of fun!
  With 75 gift baskets and special prizes, I think everyone went home with something! The donations of baskets
  and gifts were fabulous and came from many corners . We are always amazed at the variety and the generosity
  of the donors that make up the event. It is not possible to list all who were so thoughtful in donating these
  outstanding items to the event, but please know that it is truly appreciated and won’t be forgotten. I also want
  acknowledge some special helpers who really made the day and evening of the bazaar go very smoothly. Mr.
  Napolitano and PJ Benson set up the tables. Ernie Brinkman set up the chairs and did table cloths, while
  Barbara Hahre decorated them. Grace and Colleen Wagner finished wrapping up baskets and put out the ticket
  buckets. At the event Elaine and Lou Medici collected donations at the door and Pat Miller (just landed from
  Germany) helped with the 50/50, the sweeps table and the Birthday Board. The German School wished to
  utilize Frank Hall for their St. Micheals Fest so they volunteered to put all the tables and chairs back so that
  everything would be nice for Sunday morning. I know I must be forgetting helpers (please forgive me…old
  brain) but it was really a special night and it would not have happened without the kind care of the
  congregation, the parents of our Little Lambs and friends of both.
  Another event found us recently at a special book fair Barnes and Nobel / Holmdel. This was an opportunity to
  do Christmas shopping and help Little Lambs at the same time. We had many shoppers and volunteer wrappers
  that came out and we are very grateful! Barnes and Noble will be sending us a check in the New Year for about
  $350 a percentage of our school’s sales. The manager of the store said for a first time book fair, that was a very
  good result. Many thanks to everyone for coming to the store and for all those extra donations that went into
  the “wrapping” bucket for this year-end fund raising event.
  The really fun things happen with the children. St Catharine’s invited us over to their fellowhip hall to see a
  visiting group of young ballerinas who danced most of the story of the Nutcracker for us. The children of both
  schools sat with eyes wide as the music played and these talented girls (no older than 13) spun this magical tale
  in dance. It was a fun “field trip” and so convenient! To my surprise, three of the dancers had been my
  students at King of Kings School. It was a joy to see them again and remember each other (even though they
  are now almost as tall as me! )
  And I don’t remember if I told you how the school bus came to visit. Mr. Lou stopped by one day to allow the
  children to experience a school bus, up close. Of course the wheels are bigger than the children are and they
  were excited to see the lights and the blinking stop sign (It’s an octagon Mrs. Benson) One little boy was
  worried it was going to take him somewhere but when he was assured that the bus was not running, he relaxed
  and marveled at the really long seat belts and the really big seats. (he asked days later “The school bus isn’t
  going anywhere is it?”) We appreciate the time that Lou gives to us all the time, but this special visit was really
  a treat.
  Christmas Care took place on Monday evening December 15. Volunteers from school babysat children and
  siblings of the congregation and school families (ages 3 to 11) while the grownups shopped for the holidays..
  The children brought a boxed dinner and saw a Christmas video, sang songs and made Christmas crafts. It is
  was a fun night.
  As we approach the Christmas break we will be busy baking and getting everything ready just like we do at
  home. We will have a family get together on our last day when we will celebrate Jesus’ birthday and SING and
  eat Christmas treats.
  Our small group of families is very special. They are helping us with the
  Manna House Christmas out reach. They pay their tuition on time, contribute to our fund raisers and always tell
  of their love for us. We lost two children who moved, but then gained two children who found us during the
  potty training seminars. We are holding three open houses for registration. December 12, January 10 and
  January 17th all Saturdays between 10 AM and noon. Tell people with small children about us. They can visit
  our website at little-lambs.us.
  We look with hope to the New Year and remember in this blessed season why we are called.
  We are all little lambs of the Good Shepherd.