Christmas carols sow seeds in Michigan.

This time last year, we brought you news of our evangelist friends Syd and Liz Doyle and their efforts to share the Gospel in Dearborn, Michigan, through Christmas carolling outreach. This year we are pleased to share another update from the same mission.

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Dear Friends and Family,

"Joy to the world, the Lord has come" echoed up the streets of the highest concentration of Arabs outside the Middle East, Dearborn, MI., on the first two Saturdays of December 2018. Despite cold, wet weather, 185 people from many different churches, ages and ethnicities came with us to sing Christmas carols. We had 25 groups made up of our own international team of Koreans, Chinese, Canadian, English, Irish and Americans and gave out about 450 gift bags! We prayed with many families and had a great time sharing “Peace on Earth and goodwill to all people!”

We carolled in a beautiful Lebanese Bakery. A large gathering of Egyptian Christians joined in singing the well-known songs of Christmas. A woman in a hijab called us over to her table to talk with us about the lighting of the Christmas tree in her hometown, Bethlehem.

One young woman, driving by, saw us walking down the street with our Santa hats and tinsel wrapped around us and pulled over to ask for a song. After singing “Jingle Bells” to her little son in his car seat we sang “Joy to the World” while she recorded the whole encounter on her cell phone. It’s our custom to not only give a gift bag with a Christmas ornament, candy, a Jesus film DVD and this year a booklet especially prepared in Arabic and English to explain the Christmas story, but we offer to pray for any needs. She asked we pray for the safe delivery of a baby she was carrying.

At one Yemeni home, tears freely flowed as we prayed for family members still in that war-torn country beset with famine and cholera.

We met families from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Algeria, Lebanon, Palestine, Pakistan, and even Brazil. Some families invited us into their homes. Children often interpret for their parents. At one Yemeni home, tears freely flowed as we prayed for family members still in that war-torn country beset with famine and cholera.

Another reason we went carolling was to invite the neighborhood to a Live Nativity staged by the Springwells Church right in the center of Dearborn. The church was transformed into the scenes of Nazareth, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Live animals were housed outside under a tent. Nearly 200 people attended and at least 75 Muslim people came to our feedback areas to ask questions and get more information. We were delighted to spend time answering questions and sharing together our understanding of the Christmas message.

OSyd and Liz Doyle.ne Afghan family, new to the USA, had never heard the Christmas story. When talking with some children from Yemen, we asked what they felt the most important gift ever given by God was. After visiting the Live Nativity the first child said “family,” the second, “love”. Finally a little girl of 10 said, “The most important gift God ever gave to us was JESUS!”

She is right: “For God so loved the WORLD that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that who ever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

There are many more stories - you can watch some of the action on cbn.com (coverage begins at 8:34) as CBN interviewed us for ‘The Global Lane’ programme.

Altogether: 9 gatherings, 185 carollers, 25 teams, 7 caroling times, a live Nativity, 3 parties, 550 gift bags given out, and CBN coverage! About 1600 people personally talked to and prayed with and 28 nations were touched as carollers from USA, China, Korea, Japan, Canada, Ireland and England sang to people of all ages from Iraq, Egypt, Palestine, Iran, Algeria, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Syria, Italy, Lebanon, Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, Morocco, Yemen, Kurdistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, & Kuwait! We prayed with some to receive Christ- only God knows the total outcome!

May you and yours have a safe and Happy Christmas!

Syd & Liz Doyle

Find out more about Syd and Liz Doyle at Nations Light Ministries website.