“First-Fruits Festival”- Day of Thanks to God

Our church celebrates a “First-Fruits Festival” at the end of November, which, similar to Thanksgiving Day in the United States, serves as a day of thanks to our God for His faithful provision during the whole year. 

 

Each family brings a box of groceries as a thanks offering to God (representing the “first-fruits” of his

harvest), and then stands before the whole church to publically thank the Lord for His many and specific blessings during the past year.  As each family gave testimony- I was reminded that this was a very difficult year for many families at our church, with imprisonments, limb-amputations, deathbed-sicknesses, husband’s abandonment of wife and child, loss of jobs, death of children, incurring debt, and more.  However,

each family, even in the middle of such dark times, could still say: “Our God has not abandoned us, because we witness His care and love for us, and we are thankful for Him.”  What testimonies!  God truly is our hope and our light!

 

Afterwards, we enjoyed a potluck meal together as one big family- with

as much joy as any Thanksgiving meal!

 

The offerings of groceries were then distributed among needy families in our community, along with a New Testament, and the Gospel message of God’s love.