Pajama Party - Part I

So many things were needed by the orphanage – sheet sets, toothpaste, light bulbs, Spanish books, hair conditioner… The list went on and on. Miraculously though, whole categories of gifts were filled each week as the team was preparing for their journey. One of our dentists gave toothbrushes to the children. A Gideon donated Spanish Bibles. Our resourceful librarian was in the midst of searching for favorite childhood books written in Spanish. What need could I help meet?

Day by day, I wondered what I could do. Wherever I went, my mind slipped to those thirty-eight children of all shapes and sizes. One afternoon as I watched my kindergartners play on the recess field with their fourth grade friends, an idea began to form: I had children of all shapes and sizes right in front of me. My kindergartners are some of the most compassionate and loving children I know – I am so blessed to have them in my life. They are constantly looking to make a difference in the world around them. And I just happen to know they have some terrific pajamas. At least once a year, we have a pajama day when we all wear pj’s to school and enjoy extended Reading Workshop time. When I shared with them about my upcoming trip, their faces lit up. “Oh, Mrs. Barnes, we have lots of pajamas. We’ll just give them ours.” We, of course, talked about the necessity of them talking with their parents before just giving away their clothing. But, they volunteered other sizes from their brothers, sisters and friends. We planned to advertise it in the school newsletter to ensure that we had plenty of cute pajamas in everyone’s sizes. Thus, the pajama drive at the Center for Inquiry was begun.

Before the school newsletter even was published, plastic grocery bags of assorted pajamas began arriving in my classroom – a Little Mermaid gown here, a Cars short set there. One of my five-year-olds brought in an adorable Baby Gap pair – teeny yellow and pink striped shorts and a hot pink tee. A darling little girl graced the middle of the shirt – she even looked Honduran. My kindergartner friend said, “I loved these; but, I’m growing out of them. You can have them for one of those little girls.” An older sister came in one day, bringing a bag full of shirts and shorts from all the kids in the family. Each day brought more clothes. Dainty, frilly gowns; billowy sleeves on tops; capris with ruffled cuffs. The girls’ pj’s ranged from absolutely precious to chic and cool. I knew the boys’ pj’s could be especially tricky. There were so many more boys to outfit than girls. Some would like screen-printed cartoon figures; some would like more sporty outfits. Others would just prefer sweats and tank tops. Little by little, week by week, the pile of pajamas grew. God provided plenty of pajamas through many generous-spirited children.

Once we got to Honduras, the days flew by. There was always so much going on. We could have just sent the pajamas over to the houses; but, I so wanted it to be a special time with the children. I also wanted each child to have a choice, to pick their favorite one – a privilege so many children here take for granted, but one those sweet children rarely receive. Finally, on our last full day when most of the team went shopping in the city, we knew it was the perfect time to spend with the children. Jennifer, Kendra, Tiff and I were so excited! Gary retrieved the full-length mirror from one of the upstairs bedrooms. (After the runway show with the dresses, we knew the large mirror would make this event even more special.) While Jennifer and Kendra lined up the smallest pairs of pajamas on the sofa and got their cameras ready, Tiff and I went to the girls’ house to get some girls. After lots of interpreting with young Shelly assisting, the tia agreed to let the girls go with us – three at a time, beginning with the youngest.

Shopping! “Come upstairs to shop,” we encouraged. The girls wandered in and looked at that little row of pajamas.  They were confused. “Pick what? Why?” Once the first one tried on the outfit, the other two quickly figured it out. We stood them up in front of the mirror.

They giggled and grinned, turning this way, twisting that. (I’m not sure they’d looked in a full-length mirror before.) We all oohed and ahhed; some men who were awaiting the container shipment wandered in and joined the fun. The pajama shopping had become more like a party.

 

Before we knew it, one of the little ones jumped up on the sofa and flipped right over. Their little faces just beamed. We couldn’t help hugging them. Two of the sweet things began changing back into their playclothes. We helped them fold up their new little outfits; they cradled them tightly next to their chest. The third little girl shook her head no and began folding up her playclothes to carry back. She was just going to keep her new pj’s on! We hugged them once more as Tiff took them back. The other girls realized now what was happening. They were ready! Time for more shopping.

As each small group of girls came and went, our hearts just soared. They were so appreciative, so thankful, so excited. Giving them our undivided attention, spending special moments with each one – just priceless.

There were so many little stories behind this big one. Enjoy some of the anecdotes…

When we told Mrs. Georgia we had lots of cute pajamas for the children – enough for them to choose their favorite pair, she just shook her head. “Most of these children have never even had pajamas before. Some wouldn’t want to take them off once they put them on. And they’d probably wear them during the day – just like regular clothes. Is that alright with you?” We just nodded our heads. Of course, anything they did with the clothes was fine with us. We were happy to give them something they would love.

The graciousness of the older girls was unbelievable. Since they had watched all the little ones leave their home and return with cute new clothes, they knew what was going to happen with them. However, they were not concerned for themselves. “Pah-jah-mah por tia?” We gawked. “Really? But, first let us show you what we have for you.”

 “No… pah-jah-mah por tia?” they pleaded. Thank God I had brought along lots of sizes and styles – we showed them three different pairs and assured them they were for the sweet tias who take such good care of them. They nodded, satisfied. Now they could select something for themselves.

During the school pajama drive, one of my dear grandmas peeked in my classroom one day. She had heard about our need and had come to school to pass along three boxes of individually-wrapped, brand-new pajamas for the children. What a saint! When I finally had a minute to look more closely at them, my heart sank. They were tiny – baby-sized. I knew that our children at the orphanage were aged 4 to 17. What would we do with baby pajamas? Well, I knew I should take them along – God would use them somehow. That last Honduras day, I remembered those boxes. You see, little Jeffrey, due to his health issues, was much smaller than the other children. In fact, one of those brand-new baby pajamas was just the right size. God knew – and Grandma knew – that those pajamas would fit Jeffrey perfectly!