It’s dawn in Burendwa, a small village in western Kenya. Children across the village begin to wake up with excitement as they anticipate the day’s activities. Young Sebastian rubs his eyes and jumps from his bed to get ready.
It’s Easter Sunday and all children and their families will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus together. As Sebastian washes his face he hums:
“He is risen!”
“He is risen!”
“And He lives, forever more.”
A Great Day to Celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus
Suddenly, Sebastian hears other children outside his home and realizes he’s late. He quickly puts on his best suit and runs to the door, eager to get to church.
Before he leaves, Mama Sebastian calls out to him: “Kweli hi itakuwa siku njema tukila na tukisherekea kufufuka kwake Yesu Mwokozi Kristo!”
“This is going to be a great day as we eat together and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Savior!”
Children look forward to a delicious Easter meal in the afternoon prepared by their parents. Sebastian grins as he thinks about the meal of chicken he’ll enjoy when he returns. He’ll even get a bubbly soft drink to go with it!
Marching & Praising at the Compassion Center
As Sebastian enters the yard of his church, home to his Compassion center, he sees palm leaves lined up on the ground outside. He and his siblings grab their leaves and run to the church to participate in the Easter march.
Sebastian and his friends will march on the road in front of the church, commemorating Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. This year, Sebastian is particularly excited as he gets to play the part of Jesus riding on the donkey, a role his best friend Moses plays.
The children march, sing praises with gusto and wave their palm leaves just like the people of Jerusalem did.
After the march, Sebastian listens intently to his pastor preach the message of the resurrection of Jesus. His belly growls and his thoughts wander to the chicken he saw his mother preparing before he left.
Soon, the service ends and Sebastian starts his journey back home. Before he goes, he tells his best friend, Moses:
“I can’t wait to reach home and eat the chicken I left my mother preparing!”
An Easter Feast in Remembrance of Jesus’ Sacrifice
Before he even reaches home, Sebastian smells the aroma of stewed chicken filling the air. Arriving at the door, he swings it open and rushes to meet his family at the dinner table.
As the meal is served, Sebastian’s father explains to the family why they celebrate Easter. He breaks a piece of bread and tells the story of the Last Supper. He also demonstrates the humility of Jesus by washing Sebastian’s mother’s feet. The family then takes turns washing each other’s feet too.
Gratitude & Hope Fill Sebastian’s Heart
As Sebastian enjoys the delicious meal in front of him, he looks around at his family and can’t help but smile. He then sees the cross on the nearby wall and his heart almost bursts with gratitude.
Sebastian remembers a time not so long ago when Easter celebrations looked much different. Living in poverty, it was hard for the family to meet their daily needs let alone afford an Easter meal.
In the struggle, hope was hard to come by. But when Sebastian was registered at his Compassion center, he learned about Jesus and experienced his love through the nutritious food, resources and care the center provided.
Now, his family is thriving with hearts full of hope not just on Easter, but every day of the year.
“Before I was registered with Compassion, I never knew what Easter really meant. I used to run to neighboring homes during Easter to see how other children and families enjoyed the season. I thank God for Compassion. My family can now enjoy Easter like any other family.”
