Joyeux Noël

It has been a Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas) this year. It began with 3 days of meetings at the Shituru church plant. We met Sunday through Tuesday and the choir came from another church with their keyboard. Pastor Kabamba preached from Ezekiel. An interesting choice for Christmas but as he proclaimed dry bones would live the Holy Spirit came down and moved in power! The presence of God was so strong in our little bar we use as a church. People’s lives were touched as we cried out to God together for His will to be done in our lives.

I did a separate program outside with all of the children. Children is so not my area but the pastors said they were going to kick the kids out of the church because they would disturb the service so I felt I didn’t have a choice. I have identified some teenage girls who are great with the kids. Right now they are leading the children’s choir. I have ordered a curriculum for children in francophone Africa. Please pray that it arrives as mailing things to Africa is always a gamble. I think that with a curriculum those girls could do an awesome job of teaching the kids the word of God.

On Saturday we had a big Christmas part for the kids. It was quite the event. We had somewhere between 200 and 300 kids. The 70 orphans we have been working with plus the 50 other kids that come to our church showed up and so did every other kid in the area it seemed. We met on our land we bought to build the church which is a wonderful location with plenty of room for games. We began by explaining why we were celebrating and explained the story of Christmas. We sang and sang.
Afterwards we played games. We did three legged races, sac races, football matches, water games, jump roping, and some Congolese games I learned for the first time. The little kids colored pages from the Christmas story and we had a blast. I have been praying for some time that God would keep the rain from falling during our program. At 8 when I arrived the sky was gray with rain clouds and by 9 it had begun to sprinkle but God was faithful as He always is to answer our prayers and the sprinkling stopped and we had no rain until 5 after our program was over! It was a big miracle. After games we went to our church where the food had been prepared. We had bukari (in Zambia nsima basically thick grits or corn mush), fish, and beans, with popcorn, cookies, and candy. I thought some people might get trampled in the process though. Congolese people aren’t good at patience so they pushed and shoved to get to the front of the line. It was chaotic but we all survived.

I am so thankful for all the people who came together to help out. Mama Isa, our church administrator took over all the food. She assembled a team of women to cook the food, put her kids to work stuffing bags with candy. It was wonderful to not have to even think about that part of the party because I knew she had it totally under control. We had about 15 teenagers helping with the games and hauling water up the hill for our water games as well as doing crowd control during the eating time. Then the pastoral team was helping me with whatever I needed. I appreciate their patients with my poor Swahili as I attempted to explain the games and the concept of a rotation from game to game.

We also gave out noise makers which were a huge hit with the kids. In fact Sunday everywhere we went we heard kids blowing on them. I’m sure their parents love me. On Sunday countless children ran up to me and shook my hand saying “Da Sheri merci beacoup.” I couldn’t help but feel I was unjustly getting the thanks. So I pass it on to all of you now. Thank you for your support through prayers, encouragement, and financial contributions. A special thank you to the church who gave the money for the party.

I’ve recently found some other expatriates who live in this area of Congo. We got into a conversation about the street children and I passed on to them all of the information I had. They said they would like to do something for the kids for Christmas and I suggested buying shoes. We gave out 70 pairs of shoes to the street kids many who had previously been walking around barefooted. Every time I go into town they chase me down just to say thank you.

I also found out who the Samaritan Purse’s Operation Christmas Child representative is in this area and organized to get Christmas boxes for each of the almost 100 orphans Noah Ministries is working with as well as the over 200 street kids in Likasi. The boxes are being collected now in the US and will arrive here in March or April next year. I have worked with OCC in Zambia and know from experience how much joy it brings to children who would have otherwise received nothing for Christmas. It will be especially exciting here because I don’t think the street kids have any toys at all.

Hopefully on Wednesday I will go to Lubumbashi to spend Christmas with some other Americans. It’ll be great to have running water and internet for a few days. Speaking English is always a treat too. It’ll also be nice to go to our church their. One of my friends recently had a child I haven’t seen yet. If everything goes according to plan on the 28th I’ll go down to Zambia for a month. I’m looking forward to seeing old friends, working with the churches and orphans in Zambia, and of course speaking English and Tonga! Please pray for safe travel.