Christmas in the Village of Le Tant

There is a Haitian Creole Proverb, Se ditou-k p bon. It means, Not giving at all is not good. Christmas this year in the old village of Le Tant was a great time of giving. We recently received this report from missionaries Bobby and Sherry Burnett:

Life in Le Tant is a struggle. Poverty is everywhere and families struggle to survive on seemingly nothing. Children are often hungry, have little clothing and go barefoot. Toys are uncommon and the children often use sticks and discarded items to make playthings. Small things bring them so much joy.

During a visit to Le Tant, the children asked if we would bring them some gifts for Christmas and we promised to be back with toys and candy. We knew it would require organization so that it didn’t turn into a free for all with some children left out. To make sure each child received a gift, each parent in the village was given one ticket for each of their children.

When the big day arrived, the church was crowded with excited children clutching their tickets. We were just as excited as they were! Not only did we get to have the joy of giving gifts, we also had the opportunity to share the story of the birth of Jesus. After the Christmas story, we sang Christmas songs and passed out the gifts. Each child received some candy, a small gift, and Christmas cookies. There were lots of happy children and lots of smiling faces. Most importantly, God’s love was planted in the hearts of Haitian children. It was a wonderful Christmas.

Matthew 25:40 (MSG) says, Then the King will say, “I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me – you did it to me.” Thank you for giving. Through your generosity, you are sharing the joy of Christmas and changing the lives of children in Haiti.

Share