Bridge of Hope children, like the ones shown here, performed songs, dances and skits and shared the story of Jesus during a Christmas program in Goa, India. |
Christians in Uttar Pradesh and Goa, India, celebrated the Christmas holiday by reaching out to their communities and sharing Jesus.
In Goa, students from six Gospel for Asia Bridge of Hope centers produced a Christmas program for 300 people, including their parents and people in their communities. The children, all dressed in bright colors, performed a variety of folk dances, skits and songs. Goa’s diverse population was well-represented in the program, as the performers spoke and sang in languages such as Konkani, Marathi, Hindi, Kannada, Telegu, Lamani and Tamil.
While the culture was celebrated, it was the story of Jesus that took center stage.
“The children made an effort to share the message of Jesus, the bearer of love and peace among mankind,” GFA’s correspondent wrote.
Among the guests at the celebration was a member of the state’s legislative assembly of the local area, who spoke kind words about the children and their performances. He was also one of the distinguished guests who helped distribute clothing to the students from the centers. The clothing received by the students included their school uniforms.
Of course, the festivities included a Christmas feast for all who attended.
In Uttar Pradesh, teams of people from the local churches went Christmas caroling. The teams, comprised of people who attend churches where GFA workers serve as pastors, spent three to four days in each village, making sure to visit each house. Music is very popular in Indian culture, so the teams, consisting of 10-15 people singing and playing the drums, were welcomed into each home, regardless of the householder’s faith. At each home team members sang, read Scripture about the birth of Jesus, prayed a prayer of blessing and left a Scripture promise. In some areas, local churches distributed Gospel tracts during the caroling.
Some Gospel for Asia missionaries in Uttar Pradesh also distributed Christmas gifts to the poor and needy in their area.
There were many happy people at the Christmas programs put together by GFA missionaries and the local believers. |
Missionary Arup Novo arranged a Christmas program that included skits and songs for the people in his newly-established mission station. Some members of this new congregation received blankets and New Testaments. Arup invited the local political leaders, and the entire group shared a meal as part of the celebration.
In another part of Uttar Pradesh, Sabal Chintan also had a Christmas gift distribution. He distributed three sewing machines and 20 blankets to needy people in his village.
A GFA Women’s Fellowship from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, reached out to a nearby village with the Christmas message. They treated the people to a public Christmas program that included skits, dancing and the Christmas story. The women also purchased Christmas gifts for the residents using money they had raised on their own. The gifts, along with New Testaments, were distributed at the end of the program. Of course, there were sweet treats to be enjoyed by the 25 families who attended the program.
The Christian women from Lucknow have been riding their bicycles to this village for some time to conduct ladies meetings and Sunday school. The village is in a remote area and the people are very poor, so not a lot of people pay attention to their needs.
The missionaries in Uttar Pradesh ask that you pray for the people who heard the Christmas story in December. Also pray for the people in the villages who received gifts, that they would see the love of Christ as they use their gift everyday. Also pray for Arup’s mission station and the classes being taught by the Womens’ Fellowship.
