Christmas in the community.

We had two main Christmas celebrations in the slum to bring some joy and presents to those who otherwise wouldn’t have, and also to bring the real meaning of this special time of year. We had our usual children’s Christmas party where 150 kids from the slum came and were entertained with games, music, dance, drama and puppets. Before they left they had a nice meal and each received a present. At the end 13 of the children came forward to give their lives to Jesus and all left joyful, feeling loved and special.

On Christmas day we also managed to reproduce one of my favourite parables in the Bible that I have wanted to do since I arrived in Brazil – the parable of the Great Banquet. In one of the squares in the slum overlooking the sea and the big luxurious 5 star hotel over the road we put up Christmas lights, tables and chairs and invited “the poor, crippled, blind and lame” - those excluded and forgotten in society. The poor, addicts, drug dealers, prostitutes, and street children came and we served more than 100 people at the banquet. The whole community was involved with the ladies cooking, people setting up and lending chairs and tables and even the drug dealers giving money to provide the drinks, which we kindly reclined. After the meal the children and teenagers presented two dramas of how Jesus can transform lives. It was very powerful as they had lived out their role in the drama in real life and where the children of the drug dealers, addicts and prostitutes; presenting God’s light and truth to their own parents.

Pray for a transformation in lives in this community.
(Andrew- leader of “SHINE”)