Filling Their Hands And Hearts
This is the time of year when child sponsors and other generous donors faithfully include the Lahash kids in their Christmas celebrations. Each child has unique needs both practically and emotionally, and each gift perfectly fills a gap. When our ministry partners in East Africa get to see the kids’ faces as the gifts are placed in their hands, it is an absolute delight. These gifts make a day-to-day difference for a child and at times even for their whole family. Christmas gifts also serve as tangible reminders that they are important to God and to all of us!
Thank you for helping extend the love and care of the global Lahash community all the way around the world to fill up the hands and hearts of precious kids like Lucy, Yvonne, Mateso, Ketia, and hundreds more!
To help us get a gift into the hands of each child again this year, you can donate for Christmas gifts here.
LUCY
Lucy is one of seven children in her family, four of whom have albinism. The father abandoned the family about eight or nine years ago. Their mother does her best to find menial jobs to provide for them, but hunger is common, and they live with many household needs unmet. Lucy was overjoyed to receive food and clothes for Christmas and was very excited to have a big meal and wear something nice to church “like the other children.” But the gift of a mattress was understandably her favorite. “I used to sleep on a cowhide,” she said, “But now I can sleep in a bed and on a nice mattress!” Lucy's mom was especially grateful for this life-changing generosity. “I thank God very much for the sponsor and her family. We love you and pray for God to bless you. We have nothing to pay you but we say thank you very much.”
YVONNE
Yvonne was separated from her birth parents as a toddler and now lives at Nipe Tumaini Children’s Home. She attends Class 2 at Nipe Tumaini Academy. She likes studying English and was excited to see the new books she received for Christmas. She’s happy to report that she now knows how to use question marks when writing sentences, and she is very excited to get to Class 3! She also loves athletics, so the track suit she received quickly filled her with optimism about improving in sports and becoming a top athlete. New clothes are so important for fast-growing kids because they do a lot more than provide a basic need. Something as simple as a track suit can help kids like Yvonne see their own potential to reach a goal or fulfill a dream!
MATESO
Mateso is in Class 2 at Busoka Primary School and lives with his grandmother and three other children after losing both his parents when he was an infant. He could not hold back the tears when he received new clothes for Christmas. Especially in rural areas like Busoka, clothing options for children living in poverty are extremely limited and new items are embraced with wide-eyed wonder. Mateso exclaimed, ‘’Wow new clothes! Now I don’t have to wear old clothes!" Hardly able to believe it, he gushed, ‘’Thanks to my sponsor for this generous gift to me, thanks again, I was not expecting anything like this today! It’s like a surprise!" It has been a long road for this little boy to get healthy and strong, surrounded by the love and support of his grandmother and aunt, our ministry partners at Path Of Hope, and his sponsor through Lahash. Seeing him enjoy his Christmas so thoroughly was a wonderful chance to celebrate his growth!
KETIA
Ketia is part of a large household, so when she saw that her Christmas gifts this year included ample food supplies, she said, “Now my caregiver doesn’t have to struggle to get us food some days, and we are going to have more than one meal a day! I am very happy!” She also received a backpack along with some items for school. These simple and commonplace items felt out of reach for Ketia because her caregiver has such limited financial resources. “My prayers are answered because now I have a way to carry my many books to school and my notebooks will be safer,” she said. “I always struggled especially on rainy mornings. I am happy to be part of this caring Sponsorship Program!”
Many thanks to Edwin Angote and our ministry partners for capturing these photos and stories and sharing them with us! As you share Christmas gifts with Lahash kids this year, know that you are filling up their hands and homes with gifts that meet their daily needs, and you’re filling up their hearts with excitement, love, and joy. Thank you and Merry Christmas!
Click here to give a gift this year!