Dear friends, May your heart and home be filled with the joy of knowing Jesus as Emmanuel this Christmas Season! The Carols by Candlelight we held last Sunday night in Port Vila was an incredible event! Vanuatu has never before experienced a Christmas like it! Our desire all along had been to create an evening where the people could enjoy experiencing the wonder of the birth of Jesus and His presence being available right now in their own lives. Throughout the evening, we and around 18,000 others covering the Saralana field sensed God and the Heavens rejoicing again with us, as the songs and Scripture readings retold the story and brought home the reality of God with us now!
All of the weeks and months of many and varied preparations were well worth everyone’s efforts. We would love to tell you all of the details, but it would take too long to read! 7,000 candles lit, 7,000 beautiful gifts of Bible Stories and music CDs for children, snow (yes, in Vanuatu!), fireworks from the rooftop, a huge sparkling star overhead, angels and many other oversized stage decorations, wise men bringing their gifts on large screen… and the glorious sounds of the songs of the NiVanuatu mass choir, musical instruments and soloists from Vanuatu, Fiji and Australia! The crowd sat on their mats under a clear sky, singing, watching, waving their candles and taking in the evening’s message. A medical team was stationed ready to deal with any mishaps (thankfully, none worth mentioning happened!).
The comments and thanks from so many people who attended continue to flow in to us. Some said, “It was the best night of my life!” We thank and praise God for His inspiration, for all of the people who performed and attended, and for great weather!
With love from Steve & Helen and the Liberty People team.