Dear Shining Hope Family,
“My grandchildren will have something for Christmas!”
Those were the words of this dear woman moved to tears by the compassion shown her. She had just received a gift of food that would bless her and her little family immeasurably. Her tears, and the tears of others gathered, are the true definition of “tears of joy.”
As you read about what the Lord accomplished through you this Christmas, it is our prayer that YOU will be covered by His great joy!
Preparations for the outreach started on December 23rd. After shopping for rice, bread, noodles, sugar, and cooking oil, it was time to start measuring everything out and packing eighty food packages!
Kalungi shares more: “We decided to have three different converging points to save the elderly from walking a long distance. We had a group that came to our home and two other groups that came to the homes of those we are in touch with when it comes to community outreach. It took some bit of time since we had to wait for heavy rains to stop to move to the last two locations.
“I traveled along with my team, Rachel and Nakato, and my pastor friend, Peter. It was wonderful seeing how happy these people felt. As we reached out to them with food, we also fed them spiritually. I’m thankful to God for enabling us to have a successful sharing experience.”
Here, Pastor Peter prays over them:
We heard one common refrain while giving out the food packages: “God is good! Through His grace, He has provided for us when we least expected to have a special Christmas.”
“Every smile I see is a whole new sweet feeling,” expresses Kalungi. “It feels good seeing someone smile because you’ve played just a small part in their life.”
Our 21 kids played a very important part in the Christmas outreach! They delivered packages of food to five frail elderly neighbors and helped them by cleaning their homes. Being a very meticulous cleaner, Nakiranda, one of our children’s caregivers, supervised each group. The kids loved every minute of it!
One of the houses they had the opportunity to clean was our former home. It was such a special moment! Here, Mark is using a machete to cut down vegetation from around the yard:
Christmas Day came, and you could feel the excitement in the air! Our Christmas party was attended by our family of 21 and by 76 neighbor kids—who were already at our home by 8 AM! Even before they arrived, Rachel, Nakato, and Nakiranda, with the help of other ladies from the community, had begun preparations for the special lunch meal.
Cooking spices scented the air. Sounds of laughter and shouting came from the kids. The story of Jesus’s birth was told. Games such as soccer, cards, Ludo, and badminton were played. Everyone had big smiles.
“At around 10:00 AM,” Kalungi shares, “we called all the kids to converge for a session that aimed at teaching them about Jesus and uplifting their faith. Pastor Peter introduced them to the Word of God, and through the process, they all had ears open and attentive to learn more about God. I could easily tell they loved Pastor Peter and his preaching. After about two hours, the kids were allowed again to play as they waited for food to come.”
Unfortunately, it started raining, and we all had to cram inside the house to eat. But here are a few pictures we took of the kids enjoying the special Christmas meal you made possible!
Our sincerest gratitude for making this Christmas so joyful for these 80 families and 97 children! Through your sacrifice, God met a need and showed them His boundless love and kindness. THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH for making a difference in their lives! May the Lord greatly bless you!
Love and hugs,
Kalungi + Rachel
PS: These clips compiled from Pastor Peter’s time with the kids are sure to leave you smiling!
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