Christmas under a mango tree

Can you imagine being a child living in a remote village, far away from a tarred road and a town with running water and electricity? Can you imagine that you would only leave that village to go to a nearby village on your bicycle or to walk to the farm where your family grows its crops? Can you then imagine what a great adventure it is if somebody comes in a car and drives you to another village to celebrate Christmas with children from different villages? The enthusiasm of the children alone when they entered the car was worth all the time and energy the preparations of the Christmas celebration took.

'Christmas under a mango tree'

Together with Paul (a 'Bible Church of Africa' leader who oversees the children's work) we organised a Christmas celebration for children in two villages. In the first village 75 children attended and in the second village just over 30 came. The ingredients of the celebration were simple; singing songs, listening to the Christmas story, learning a memory verse, playing games, making a bracelet, and eating rice and sweets. We all enjoyed it.

'singing together'

'learning a memory verse'

'playing games'

'the bracelets'

After the celebration a father with his son came to speak to me. I think the boy, Tingila, was about five years old. According to his father, about four years ago Tingila fell in a fire. His toes, left hand and shoulder were burnt badly. Even though the wounds were treated in the hospital, Tingila lost part of his toes so that he can only walk when wearing socks and shoes and without them he would fall. Could the church help Tingila? The first thing that came to my mind when this father spoke to me was the text from Acts 3:6, 'Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.' Together we prayed for the healing of Tingila. Paul and I again explained the meaning of Christmas to him and indicated that the greatest gift God has given us is Jesus Christ. We further promised to see how the church could help them and encouraged them to visit the church in their village.

Thank God for:

• the christmas celebrations we could organise and the possibility to share the Gospel with many children
• the presidential and parliamentarian elections which were peaceful

Pray for:

• the children who joined the Christmas celebration, that they will understand the true meaning of Christmas
• Tingila and his parents, that God will do miracles in their lives
• the new government of Ghana