Every Friday I receive an e-mail from an organization called KOMpray (Kids on Mission), sharing prayer requests from MKs (missionary kids) around the world. Here's today's e-mail, called Christmas in Africa:
Are all of the houses on your street decorated for Christmas? Are there brightly decorated trees in the windows and lights hanging from the roof? Everywhere around my town I see wreaths and lights. To me, it looks a lot like Christmas!
In Swaziland, most of the people don’t know anything about our American Christmas traditions. They don’t decorate their homes or sing carols. No, they don’t have other customs. Most Swazis do not even realize we are celebrating the birth of Jesus. If you asked a Swazi person if they were a Christian, about 80 percent would say ‘yes.’ But many mix Christian teachings with traditional pagan beliefs.
It is important for Christian workers to share biblical stories very clearly. That way the Swazi people can see what is truth and what are false beliefs. Pray that the Swazi people will stop following their traditions and start following Jesus whole-heartedly.