Season of Joy & Giving & Miracles

We understand this would be belated wishes for all of you but we would like to start this blog with our heartfelt wishes “Merry Christmas & Happy New Year”.

For every one of us, Christmas is a time of reflection as well as a time of great joy! After all, Christmas isn’t about material gifts under the tree, it’s about our Father’s gift, the celebration of the birth of Jesus, who died on the cross and rose from the dead, paying the price for our sins.

Christmas Outreach 2018

Christmas Outreach; Miraculously Provided: It was a huge step for us and we needed lot of funds to conduct the program and bless the children with Christmas gifts. We gathered our volunteers and prayed for new door to opens. The very next week, a local Christian NGO partnered with us and covered 65% of the program cost. It was a huge blessing. A right time, my close friends and supporters covered the rest of the funds. Thank you one and all for your prayers and support.

The whole month, every day we traveled to the villages to meet the children and give them practice for the programs. There were lot of ups and downs but the Lord was good and provided everything on time.

As we planned, on December 23^rd & 24^th 2018; we were able to successfully organize Christmas Outreach programs in two villages in Tamil Nadu, India. In both of these villagers, the people are staunch followers of Hindu faith; worshiping numerous gods and goddesses. On the other hand, they face caste (a social status or a hereditary classes of Hindu society, distinguished by relative degrees of ritual purity or pollution and of social status) based issues, drug addiction and unemployment among youths and poverty.

Children Marathon

In one of the villages, we organized a marathon for the children, teens and youths. We divided them into different categories like 3km, 5km and 10km running distance. It was the first ever marathon event conducted in the village.  

The Lord helped us to gather over 120 children for this event, the children took part in different running category and we provided breakfast for all participants after the event.

Prakash* (Villager) said “It was the first ever event organized in our village for Marathon. Our children had real fun and it was a time that helped them to focus on sports and not on drugs or any other addictions”.   

Winners with Trophies

The winners of the event were honored with a medal and trophies; all the participants received certificate for their attempt.

Raj Kumar* (A winner of 5km race) said “Thank you for conducting this event, this is my first medal and trophies. I never thought that I could win any sports event. I strongly believe God gave me a talent to run, I will run for Him and win many trophies”

Christmas Outreach @ Marthepalli, Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu

The Lord helped us to talk to the leaders of this village and they granted us the permission to conduct the program in their village government school ground.

When we visited them every day and taught them dance, skit and other activities; we were surprised to see the children were extremely talented and grabbed the actions quickly.

Caught by Surprise: We were surprised to see how caste issues in the village have affected the children’s mind, few of the children refused to play the role of shepherd (according to them they are low caste) and girls refused to play a role of Mary (according to them Mary became pregnant before wedding).

It was very difficult initially to make them understand; however we taught the Bible stories and the importance of each character that paved way for God (Christ) to be born among us. Slowly, they participated in the skit and drama.

Happy villagers and Children

It was a grand celebration; we had over 700 villagers attending the program. They were happy to see their own children dancing, acting enjoying puppet show and receiving prize for winning the Marathon competition. We also had a local evangelist sharing the Good News of Christ through Christmas message. Many villagers came forward for prayer after the message. It was a time overwhelming happiness.

We also had a local sponsor (a believer in Christ Jesus) who came forward to provide food for all the villagers after the program.

Babu (Villager) said “This Christmas celebration program was completely different because it was our children dancing, acting and sharing the story of Christ to us. We really enjoyed every moment of it”.

Christmas Outreach @ Valluvarpuram, Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu

Barriers to Overcome: When we went to meet the village heads to offer us a place to conduct the program, they said the village is offering special pujas to the village temple; they assumed our program would hinder their prayers. It was very difficult but it was time we together prayed for an opening.

Christ Birth Skit @ Outreach

A miracle: A village elder who was residing in the outskirts of the village asked to conduct the program near his house and he offered that he would help us in all means. We were so happy to see all our prayers answered the very next day. 

Thus, they opened their home for volunteers to meet the children and give them practice for the program. On 24^th December, 2018, we had over 300 villagers attending the program. They were happy to see their own children anchoring, enjoying puppet show, dancing and acting. We also had a local evangelist sharing the Good News of Christ through Christmas message. Many villagers came forward asking prayers for their sickness and well-being.

Gifts Listed for Kids 

A complete surprise: In this village also the village elder who hosted our program in his land, gifted all our volunteers and sponsored fireworks show for all our children during the program. He also provided food to all the villagers on 25^th December 2018 and invited us for the celebration.

The Lord also helped us to give Christmas Gifts to 180 kids. The kids were so happy and they all were blessed. We exclusively bought different gifts that goes according to children age and their need. 

A Season of Joy, Giving and Miracles:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variables, neither shadow of turning – James 1:17.

Each one of your prayer support did not go in vain, we were able to achieve all these because of your prayers. Thank you for being an instrument in reaching out to bless someone and help him/her to know God.

We wholeheartedly, thank you for standing with us to make this Christmas Outreach programs come through for the glory of the Lord and for the expansion of His kingdom. The Lord provided and blessed the resources needed to fulfill His task.

Pray for Us

Starting a Children Club in this village this year is our real focus. This Christmas Outreach programs as a definitely helped us to enter the village and get new contacts within the village. We are now planning to do a children retreat this coming February 2019. We have already started planning for the program. Keep us in prayers.

We know the journey is not going to be easy, we need people who can volunteer and they are resourceful for our kids.

Pray for wisdom and strength for both of us; helping us to envision the journey and walk boldly towards it.

Thank you so much for joining us in praying for our mission journey. Please do comment and send us your response. It will encourage us greatly.

May God's blessings be yours this year!

With love,

Hanni &Jeba