Christmas Show in Harar Church of Joy

Ethiopia, Thursday January 7th 2010

Sunday the 3rd of January was a special Sunday in Harar. 75 tickets had been handed out to old, homeless, blind and crippled people throughout the city. The tickets invited them to Harar Church of Joy's Christmas Show, including lunch for everyone!

For two whole days, until late Saturday night, we had church members, former Bible school students and future ones preparing food everywhere on our compound. Some were cutting onions outside the kitchen, some cutting potatoes in front of our bedroom doors, some mixing spices on the front yard, others mixing the different ingredients in huge pots over open fires just inside the gate. It was amazing to see everyone at work like this, feeling the expectation... Our goal was to cook the best meal these people had ever had! And I think we made it. For about 150,- USD we bought the best ingredients and made a fabulous lunch, packed separately for 100 people!

In addition to preparing lunch for the homeless, we had prepared a drama going through the whole life of Jesus, from birth to death, and even showing His healing ministry. It was powerful!

In the morning the Church of Joy had its normal service with Christmas theme, and at 2 pm the lunch service for the homeless. It was such a joyful time! Getting to share the gospel with so many people in one day! Getting to share the love of Christ and reach out to our community... Ashagre, one of our pastors, shared the message of salvation and more than half of the gathered people responded! After Samuel preached a brief message of healing, we got to pray for many of the sick people that had come, and a deaf ear opened! What a blessed Christmas!

Katrine Drevon
Mission SOS
Horn of Africa