12 Days of Christmas Celebration

A heartfelt thankyou to everyone who helped make Christmas at Freedoms door a very special time for me. Your kindness and generosity was truly inspiring. A special than you to Marlow a 10 year old boy who sent me a card of smiles

Here I am at the end of the year thinking about the world we are currently navigating. It is so easy to go to the doom and gloom but I choose not to. I choose to focus on the fact that I’m still here. I’m still healthy, I’m still living and I will do what I believe is best to stay here for a long time. This doesn’t mean that I don’t have compassion for others. There is a lot going on all around the world and I can feel for that too. Yes, we are in the 4th or is it 5th wave of the pandemic, and its looking grim again but I am choosing to find joy in everyday moments, I am choosing to stay positive and optimistic. If we let go of hope there is no light to guide us. As I reflect on 2021, and my word of the year freedom I realise that’s how I lived this year. I appreciate the freedom I have, I used my privilege of freedom for good and created the space and mindset that allowed me to be me. Despite the lockdowns and continued pandemic, I found the freedom in everyday choices and everyday experiences. I cherished my freedom as I realised that without it there is no joy, no laughter, and no life. As I reflect back on 2021, I have a lot to be grateful for. As I head into 2022, with hope and optimism, I wish you all that your heart desires and that you may live freely and joyfully. Life works well when you do. So take good care and ill see you in the new year.

I am very grateful for all the work that went into the 12 days, all the donors, volunteers, and effort that went into the planning and execution. Thank you for your hard work. We had a wonderful time. It made us a stronger group, and helped us grow and learn to have good clean fun. Thank you for teaching us the spirit of giving. Thank you for loving us.

Thank you for the wonderful meals, the shared joy and an opportunity to unite. I personally came out of this time with a new family, new brothers, and a new outlook on life.

We are very privileged at Freedom’s Door. Warm beds, warm meals, and warm hearts. We are protected from the harms of the world, the cold, and ourselves.

You have brought us closer to the Lord.

Thank you.

Over the 12 days of Christmas I really struggled. It is always a very hard depressing time of year for me, and I thought about drinking almost every day. But by the grace of God, and my supports, I have here I made it through sober. It was my first holiday season I have made it through sober since I was 12 years old. That is almost 20 years of drunken Christmas’s ruined by drugs, alcohol, and my own will.

I owe it to God, this place, my sponsor, the staff, all of my fellowship brothers of NA and AA, and the activities put in place by the donors and the staff of Freedom’s Door. Although I did not participate in all of the activities, I really enjoyed the ones I did participate in.

Thank you so much for my recovery.

Thank you to all the staff, volunteers, donators and people who make Freedoms Door possible. I personally have been very graciously afforded love, acceptance and encouragement at a magnitude I have only experience here through this extension of Gods mercy. Today I have hope and faith that I to will be made useful in Gods will, I have a new found freedom, direction and purpose, which is the greatest gift I have ever received.

Eternally Grateful.

This past Christmas has taught me a huge lesson on humanity, the selfless acts of kindness from anonymous friends of Freedooms Door literally brings a tear of joy to my eyes and a warmth to my heart.

It has inspired me to be a better human being myself, although I have had a privileged life. I have taken many things for granted. This Christmas I have had the opportunity to reflect on my selfish attitude and behaviour and see what my own family was trying to instill in me. 

Two things are, the importance of family and the gift of giving.  

It was amazing to participate in the activities available to us over the 12 days of Christmas and it proved to be a bonding experience for us. It was so nice to know we were being thought of from the outside community in that some of the activities were freely given to us. Coming from dark places it was hard to feel deserving but it taught me to “just be grateful.

A special thanks to everyone who helped finance all the activities.

All the men here who participated in the activities.

The amazing turkey dinner that staff cooked and prepped for us

Allowing me to spend some of the days with my kids

Allowing us to have a break from a normal routine and have some fun.

I will be forever indebted to Freedoms Door and every soul that makes it possible for the doors to stay open.

I Raoul Kibangula want to say thank you, thank you, and thank you again. This past Christmas holidays was completely off the hizzles, for shizzels, I am grateful for the gifts, the prayers, and the events we had, that helped me and many brothers get out of our hands.

12 days of Christmas was a game changer for me, thank you and God bless. God expand the territory for Freedoms door and continue to bless everyone that gives to this place. 

This holiday season was my first sober Christmas/New year in many years and I couldn’t be more grateful. I can’t fathom the idea that I don’t deserve to be treated this nicely by people who don’t even know me. Thank you for all the x-mas presents and activities. It’s beautiful to experience sober fun with sober people again. I love everyone that supports us and am forever grateful. Xoxo