Over the past couple of weeks we’ve been teaching and celebrating Christmas with the children here in Liberia. One week was spent talking about the Christmas story with the children. We read some children’s books about the meaning of Christmas and then did some crafts. We gave them a styrofoam object (a stalking, tree, present, or wreath) and asked them to decorate with stickers. The kids love any chance to display their artistic ability.
The next week we gave out christmas presents to all of the children. When we were deciding what exactly we could get for the children we learned an interesting tid-bit of Liberian culture. In Liberia, an apple is representative of love. It carries the same significance as red roses would in the states. So this year, every child got a new outfit, new shoes, a stuffed animal, pencils, a toothbrush, some candy, a washcloth, a notebook with a note inside from a child in the states, a piece of lapa, and an apple.
Watching the kids tear into their presents was truly humbling. In that moment I recognized that God had used 5 under qualified people to be a representation of the love of God to 100’s of kids that week. I saw a kid raise his toy victoriously in the air a scream in absolute bliss I realized that God had used us to bless a group of people who had thought they had been forgotten. That child could not believe he received his very own toy for Christmas. He thought it to be impossible. But at the end of the day, God came through for that little boy.
A big thank you to the supporters who were able to help
us make this happen. Hundreds of children
were blessed by the gift that Orphan Relief & Rescue
were able to provide.
