Last Tuesday, Dec. 21, we held our second annual Christmas party in a nearby greenhouse packing plant. Despite torrential rains again this year, the event was a wonderful success. Thank you to all who supported the outreach through prayer–the impact was felt as nearly every detail worked out perfectly.
The party started in the midst of a heavy rainstorm at 1 p.m. Every single family braved the rain and mud and showed up for the party–walking five minutes from their leaky, mud-floor barracks to the large barn where we held the party. The food for the party arrived promptly, despite concerns about washed-out roads that were flooding by the time the event started.
During the course of the afternoon we were able to bless 35 families (roughly 115 people) with a hot meal, cake, Christmas gifts, groceries, a raffle, pinatas, face painting and family portraits. It was a huge blessing to us to provide an afternoon of fun and Christmas cheer to families that otherwise live and work in very tough conditions. Our event team was amazing, including ten teens from Door of Faith Orphanage who came along to help. Every single person on the team found a role and pitched in.
Juan Viveros, our friend from La Mision, shared a wonderful Gospel Christmas message, speaking from his heart and sharing his own testimony. The highlight of the day was praying with four adults (three men and one woman) who came forward to give their lives to Christ! It was beautiful and real, and we are so grateful that the Holy Spirit was touching hearts and changing lives.
The hardest part about the day was leaving. As we headed back to our homes for hot showers, we drove past our guests trudging back to their flimsy, flooded houses in the mud. It’s hard to deal wit the disparity between our lives and theirs, but the Lord knows. We will seek ways to connect with this little community that we’ve adopted throughout the coming year, and we trust that more blessings are in store.
Thank you Morningstar Christian Fellowship and Camino Community Church for your sponsorship that made this event possible! You were every bit as essential to the effort as any of us who were blessed to attend.
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