In December 2003, our first Christmas in this village, a group of carolers stopped by our house one night. In a way, it was fun. They sang familiar carols, but the words were in their mother tongue. After they sang several carols, we thanked them by giving them some of Ginger’s homemade Christmas cookies and some Coke. Before they left our home, they handed us an envelope. We said, “thank you”, and handed them back the envelope, still empty. They had hoped for a financial gift for their local church. Carolers came year after year from the “local church”, until 2009. That is the year our team first shared the Good News to them. Looking back at our pictures of these carolers, almost half of them now attend Faith Bible Church. Praise the Lord!
About a month ago, we suggested to the believers that we go caroling in the village at Christmas time. At first, they didn’t seem excited about this idea. But we continued to talk to them about this and then suggested that we not ask for a financial gift from each household, but instead we give each a gift! The believers where ecstatic about this.
Instead of asking for a financial gift, we would give them a gift! So we, along with several of the believers, put together 70 small gift boxes of instant coffee and snacks. We also included a spiritual tract that we made in Tagalog for this occasion. This past Sunday and Monday nights, about 30 believers went around the village caroling. Time after time, people tried to give the believers some pesos (money), but the believers told them that we wanted to give a gift to them.
Often the villagers didn’t understand, and probably asked themselves: “What, carolers who don’t want money?” And they kept on trying to give their few pesos. But in the end, they were the ones who received a gift.
Please pray with us that God will use this opportunity to bring these people to Himself and they will receive the best gift of all, eternal life.
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