Two years ago, Lea Johnson, a restaurant manager in King County, suffered a series of headaches. After a severe incident in which she fainted, she was taken to the emergency room, where doctors discovered a tumor was blocking oxygen to her brain. The 38-year-old Caucasian single mother of two girls, aged eight and three years, had surgery the following day and the tumor was successfully removed.
“My life changed completely,” Ms. Johnson said as she turned, pointing at the scar at the back of her head.
Ms. Johnson had to learn how to walk and talk again, going through rehabilitation for nearly a year. She used a wheelchair and a walker for months. Gradually, she started walking with a cane, and now she’s able to walk normally. The tumor has become benign, but the left side of her face is numb. To reduce the effects of her double vision, she covers her left eye with a white tape.
“I was in a dark place for a long time,” Ms. Johnson said, “But I thank God I’m alive to raise my two kids.”
Ms. Johnson’s family was one of the 268 families who registered to come to Overcomers Covenant Church. It was the venue Mission Africa chose for the “Smiles at Christmas” event where low-income families receive free vouchers to “buy” Christmas gifts for their children.
“Smiles at Christmas” began as a program for Mission Africa to thank the community that supports its activities abroad. Located in Auburn, South King County, Mission Africa promotes education by offering books to schools, scholarships to orphaned and poor talented students, empowering women through micro-loans, and providing health care to rural and difficult to reach communities in Africa.
“This is Mission Africa’s only program in the United states,” says George Chuku, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mission Africa.
“Here’s where we raise all of our money to go out to do things in other parts of the world. This is like saying “Thank you” to the country and the community that has helped us go out and help other countries and communities,” he said.
For many Americans, Christmas represents a season of love and abundance. Smiling children receive gifts from Santa Claus. Parents feel proud as they bring joy to their children. But for thousands of families who can’t afford the expected 794 dollars consumers will spend on average buying Christmas presents during the holidays, it can be a season of stress, panic, and dread.
“Smiles at Christmas” is an expression of love to those parents for whom Christmas would have brought sadness. “We believe that every child deserves a smile at Christmas”, says Pastor Chuku.
To attract its first beneficiaries and start the initial “Smiles at Christmas” event, Mission Africa’s Executive Director Ndudi Chuku and her volunteers posted flyers for weeks in the community. It attracted only 50 families. That was twelve years ago.
Today, the event has become a community effort involving partnerships with other organizations in the region. This year, registration was through the King County 2-1-1 help line referral. Within three days of the announcement, nearly two thousand people had applied.
Organizations that contributed directly or indirectly to this year’s “Smiles at Christmas” include OCC, The Gates Foundation, The L-Commission, World Vision, Adaigbo Women Association, Sound Pest Management,MJF Foundation and Caring Hearts International. Together with other generous individuals, Mission Africa collected an estimated $20,000 worth of assorted presents.
OCC, (Overcomer Covenant Church) a non-denominational Christian community built on a 23-acre plot in Auburn, provided the venue for the event that took place on December 8, 2018.
“The response to love people is for everybody,” Senior Pastor Gordon Banks said. “Not just people who look like you, talk like you, or even those who believe what you believe. The fact that they are in need is what qualifies them for help. We live by that,” the former NFL player turned pastor said.
True to their calling, OCC provided meals worth over 25,000 dollars for nearly 1,500 people, including 200 volunteers who came to run the “Smiles at Christmas” event.
“I believe that great things happen when we work together. Everybody needs partners. Even Jesus needed the partnership of God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Through partnerships, great things happen. We partner inside the house. We partner outside the house. We partner with individuals. If we partner together, God can do great things for everybody,” Senior Pastor Gordon Banks summarized the secret to the event’s success.
Mission Africa’s vision for the future of “Smiles at Christmas” is to hold the event on CenturyLink Football Field to benefit thousands of unfortunate families. With Mission Africa’s dedicated partners, The L-Commission Co-Director - Pastor Jeannette Wheeler’s words may be prophetic. “‘The 2018 ‘Smiles at Christmas’ event that took place in this Overcomers Covenant Church was just the beginning.”
- Kwami Nyamidie
Here is a breakdown of Smiles at Christmas 2018:
- 205 Volunteers
- 268 Registered Families
- 720 Children
- 2,500 Toys
- 265 Warm Coats
- 1,500 Lunches Provided
View pictures for 2018 Smiles at Christmas Event. A big thank you to all of our donors and volunteers for making it all happen. We couldn't have done this without you!