Kids receive late Christmas treat

Some kids on the south side of town today received a late but very welcomed Christmas treat. A small group of children gathered on Pelican Street this afternoon to receive toys and books donated by an evangelical group in Canada. The gifts were distributed by Operation Andrew, named after the Bible figure who went out in search of the Messiah.

Enrique Silva, Leader, Operation Andrew

“Here is the area that has a lot of unfortunate children, if I could use that term, and I believe that my heart goes out for children and we like to make people happy. But the most important thing in this is not the material gift, but it?s an opportunity to have something we call ?children evangelism? to tell them about Jesus Christ, to help them to develop good Christian morals and teach them about the right things. We have an opportunity to evangelize.?

Jose Sanchez

?What kind of gifts are you giving the kids??

Enrique Silva

?Different type of gifts, I was say covering categories. It would come in school stuff, stationeries, toys, candies and mostly things that they can use in school. It comes in the age bracket from two to four, five to nine and ten to fourteen, so you find that the children from five to nine would have some toys, the ten to fourteen would have more school stuff, stationeries so forth and clothing also.”

Over four hundred children have received gifts since last night. Enrique Silva is himself no stranger to bad times, as viewers may recall that his house was burned down last year by thieves attempting to rob the shop downstairs.