This year for our first Christmas in Mozambique we got the opportunity to compile some fun gifts for those that God has brought into our lives. After learning that providing a good meal for your family is an honored thing in this community and failing to do so is, in turn, is a shame; the idea of a Christmas Meal Basket began to form itself.

It took us three days of gathering items and baking cookies with our friends. Each basket included tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, rice, onions, seasoning packets, tomato paste, a package of corn flour, homemade cookies, bracelets made by the girls for each family’s children, a Christmas card, and a live chicken (which clearly was not placed in the basket. Hehe). Some of the fun was that our helpers, while curious, were quite surprised when they received the work of all our hands at the end of the three days. =)

We had a blast from the cookie making to the chickens running around our yard until they were all sent off to their new homes. =) (The catching of the chickens part was super fun too.)

While we still have budding Portuguese, we took the opportunity to let God’s word speak for itself. Our Christmas card included Luke 2:11 and Philippians 1:6.

It was particularly fun the day that we gave out the baskets when one of our friends mentioned their wife wanting chicken and rice for their Christmas meal, but him having to tell her it was not possible this year. Matt could barely contain his excitement to hand this dear brother his live chicken and basket of food later that afternoon.

Oh how my heart swells at their joy, some looking away to keep back tears. Sweet, friends and family, I share this story not to puff up our reputations, but to thank you. Thank you, sweet friends and family, for loaning us out to the missions field here. We missed you all during Christmas for sure, but I wanted you to see the impact on these precious brothers and sisters in Christ.

Your sacrifice is building such beautiful fruit.

God is so good. So, so good.

It was indeed a Merry Christmas.