A LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTMAS TRADITION
When I was a child, one of my favorite family traditions was Christmas Eve. We went to church for a beautiful, simple service of singing carols and lighting candles — a symbol of light coming into the darkness. After returning home, we shared a meal and opened our gifts that night so that we could relax and take our time on Christmas morning. Celebrating Christmas by giving and receiving gifts has always been a special way to share love with my family and friends each year. It is also a meaningful reminder of the ultimate gift we all received through the birth of Jesus, God’s son and our Savior.
Over the years, Lahash’s Christmas Gift program has become a treasured tradition for hundreds of sponsored kids across East Africa. These special kids are able to experience the joy of giving and receiving gifts each year, too! Not only are gifts a special way for sponsors to share their love at Christmas time, but these gifts also meet important needs specific to each sponsored child. Monthly sponsorship donations make a huge difference in the lives of these kids! However, there are some bigger items that go above and beyond the regular sponsorship amount, especially as costs for food and other goods continue to rise worldwide.
This year I had the absolute pleasure of visiting our ministry partners in Rwanda on the day that the children received their Christmas gifts! We could all feel the excitement in the air as the children arrived, dressed in their nicest outfits. Their caregivers were in attendance too, eager to see what each child would receive. One-by-one, every child’s name was called as they came up to receive items like shoes, school supplies, mattresses, bikes, and even goats!
One gift in particular stood out to me — 13-year-old Yabesi was given a full living room set of couches and chairs. Just a few days before this, I had visited Yabesi’s home. It was small, and there were not many spaces for guests to sit. Some of our group ended up standing outside the door because there wasn’t room inside. We learned that Yabesi’s family was just about to move to a new, larger home that would have space for the family to live more comfortably and host guests. Through the Christmas giving program they were blessed with brand new furniture to help make their new house a home.
Every year we send out a special Christmas card to each child’s sponsor that includes a gift list of items that have been chosen specifically for that child. Just like each person is unique, so are their gift requests! This is not a one-size-fits-all situation. Some kids need a new bed, some a bike to get to school safely, while others might ask for cement to repair their home. Gifts like shoes, school supplies, or a set of bed sheets might sound simple, but they are received with big smiles and grateful hearts from kids and their families. A food package containing rice, beans, sugar, and oil might take care of a family’s food budget for several weeks.
Our community of sponsors do an amazing job of making Christmas special for the Lahash kids! If you are a sponsor, use the link below to give a special gift to your child this Christmas season. If you’re not yet a sponsor, you can still join in the joy and give a gift to a child in need. Many children are still waiting for sponsors and your donation will help make sure they receive a gift too! Thank you for being a part of this special Christmas tradition, and supporting kids all across East Africa in such a meaningful way this Christmas.
Click here to give a Christmas gift