Christmas JOY

This morning, Mark and I were going over our schedule for the next 14 days, Lord willing, and I’m really excited. I’m starting to make lists of supplies we need, lists for food. Lists and lists…

Every Christmas we bring a turkey dinner to the Lar Bom Jesus. The 33 kids tell us what they want for Christmas dinner and we love to make this wish come true. We do the same for the rehab center, which is slightly more involved because there are 85 men in residence.

Then, we roll up our sleeves because we bring a hot meal to the Streets and in the favelas. Chopping and prep work starts and the huge pots of beans with meat cook all night on our stove. There will be two full days of delivering and serving feijoada and rice with farofa and juice to hundreds of people we love.

This year we have dedicated a whole day, Christmas Eve, to giving out Bibles. We’ve ordered thousands of Bibles and are really excited to be able to go to the streets, give out the Bibles, and tell about the best gift that was ever given.

The grand finale, on the 29th will be the festival in Aningas for the kids. We’re working on getting ice cream and popcorn to serve and the girls and Joab and Valda in Aningas are a huge help getting this organized. Our hope is that we make some more good contacts with new families that will come out on Sunday nights.

This is our Christmas here. It’s full of smiles and hugs. It’s filled with the knowledge that every single person that we meet and serve is loved by the Savior.

No matter how hungry they are, it’s not the food that they crave the most. It’s God’s love that we bring to them that they crave. So, we tell them about the Savior Who sent us to love them and tell them that He died to free them from their sin. And we offer them His free gift of salvation.

No matter how much work there is, it’s not this busyness that I crave, although I love it. It’s God’s Presence that I crave. Our joy is full when God completely takes over and fills our hearts with His love, and this love overflows to everyone we meet and serve. I expect Him to shine His light through us to the lost, this Christmas. For His Name’s sake. This is Christmas joy; His Presence with me.

These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. (John 15:11 NASB)