“Pastor Stanish are you coming to pick my children… they want to go to the Christmas party,” said my Syrian refugee friend as I picked up his phone call on the evening of December 13.

The excitement was substantial, as other New American kids also made sure that they were picked up for the Christmas party at Epiphany Lutheran Church in Holly Hills. As the evening progressed, thirty American volunteers were joined by fifty-eight refugee kids from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Liberia, Congo, Sierra Leone, El Salvador, Nepal and Syria, to celebrate the occasion. It was a special sight as the children, ably led by CFNA volunteer tutor Mrs. Jennifer Janssen, made hats for cancer victims, thereby involving these New American students in an act of Christian service.

Thereafter, the kids enjoyed a Christmas meal prepared by friends from Trinity Lutheran Church, Soulard, and subsequently gathered in the sanctuary for a Christmas devotion. Connecting the protection of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3) in an alien land to the visit of the Wise Men from alien lands to see Jesus, Pastor Mike Zeigler drove home the Advent message of people from all nations and cultures worshiping the true King - Jesus Christ. The devotion was followed by a gift distribution to all our volunteer tutors, whose commitment and love of Christ has made the tutoring program possible at the Peace Center. The enthusiastic celebration concluded with the distribution of Christmas gifts to almost sixty excited kids.

CFNA takes this opportunity to thank Village Lutheran Church and Lutheran High School South, for their generosity in providing Christmas gifts to our New American kids. Likewise, CFNA celebrates and thanks its volunteer tutors and drivers for their commitment in sharing the love of Jesus with refugee kids in an ongoing manner.

May this spirit of joy and service shine in all of us this Christmas and in the days to come!

By Rev. Stanish Stanley Christ Memorial Lutheran Church

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After School Tutoring Christmas Party