Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Psalm 100:1
Little Christmas Angels Proclaim Good News
Groggily, I glanced over at the clock - 4 a.m. What was that noise outside? I dragged myself out of bed to find more than 100 Indian children waiting for me, their faces illuminated by small candles and exploding sparklers. It was Christmas Day, and their faces were radiant.
An older boy from this South Asian children's home motioned everyone to follow behind his rusty bike. The boys spent most of the previous day rigging a battery-powered speaker system to it. We walked out the gate and headed for a village.
Interrupting the crisp morning air, a loud, scratchy, speaker voice screamed, "Happy, happy Christmas!" Children shouted joyfully, "Merry, merry Christmas!" This happy procession continued shouting and singing through one village after another. Villagers stepped out of their homes to see the commotion.
I asked if anyone got mad at the children for waking them up at 4 a.m. "But sister," came the reply, "if we didn't do this, no one would know that it's Jesus' birthday." He pointed to the older boys walking along the edge of the group. "They are telling the Christmas story to everyone we meet."
In this 99.9% Hindu area of South Asia, these children proclaimed Jesus' light in a vast darkness riddled with false gods.
When the microphone finally made it into my hands, I screamed in my best Telagu accent, "Happy, happy Christmas!" The children responded with shouts followed by exploding fireworks in the sky. It's the day of our Savior's birth, and everyone should know!
- Sue, overseas correspondent
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