Cookies, Clothing and Love: A Christmas Remedy
https://withinreachglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/cookies-clothing-and-love.jpg 800 534 Within Reach Global Within Reach Global https://withinreachglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/cookies-clothing-and-love.jpgTwo days before Christmas, 2010, Within Reach Global teamed up with Rose Of Sharon and Love For The Poor to spread the love of Jesus. “Shouldn’t migrant workers’ children and orphaned kids have a joyful Christmas too?” we thought. Maybe a simple act of love could be the answer to their prayers.
Check out the Facebook photos of Cookies, Clothing and Love: A Christmas Remedy here.
We invited three missionary girls, ages eight, nine and ten, to shop with us for clothing for the cold winter. Then they came to our home to bake and decorate gingerbread cookies. We mixed powdered sugar and food coloring to make red, green, yellow, and blue frosting. “The red one is blood,” Hannah said. “The blue is fish spit,” Meiling and Caitlin chimed in. “The yellow one is egg yoke, and the green is boogers!” We all laughed.
After decorating the cookies, we drove over to Love For The Poor’s play center for migrant workers’ children and orphaned kids. The kids were excited to see us, and probably more excited to find out what their gifts might be.
We gave a plump live chicken to the co-workers who manage the center. “We’re going to have a big dinner tonight!” they said. Then we passed out the cookies and clothing to the kids. The air was electric with joy and smiles.
Hannah, Meiling and Caitlin prepared a few Christmas carols to sing for the children. Everyone cheered and applauded their songs, then offered to sing us a few Christian songs that they had been learning at the Love For The Poor play center.
The children come from extremely poor villages. You would not believe it if you saw the photos of their decrepit rural homes. Some of their parents are working in the city, trying to make ends meet in an ever-changing China. Other kids were orphaned from a young age, and had nowhere to go before being rescued by Love For The Poor.
“Where are your parents?” Meiling asked some of the boys. A look of bewilderment came over their faces. They hadn’t seen their parents for a long time. One boy said, “My parents are dead.” Our hearts broke to hear the sadness of each one’s story. “But we are so happy to get Christmas gifts,” another boy said. It was their first time to receive gifts for the holidays.
Cookies, clothing, a live chicken, and a big dose of love––now that’s what we call a remedy for the Christmas blues!
We are so thankful for the churches and individuals in America and the Philippines who donated money to buy these presents for the forgotten children of the 10/40 Window. Do you realize what a big difference you’re making? Your small seeds are growing into a huge harvest. Someday we will introduce you to the precious souls that you have impacted by partnering with us.
Within Reach Global was honored to work alongside Rose Of Sharon and Love For The Poor to bring a little Christmas cheer to these precious children. God thinks they are worth it, and so do we.