Two Seventh-day Adventist members in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, chose to transform one of the most special moments of their lives into an act of love for others.
On November 10, Adair Soares dos Santos and Sabrina Gomes Freitas sealed their union at the Vila Pinheiro Seventh-day Adventist Church. But instead of the traditional wedding gifts, they requested that their guests bring non-perishable food items to donate.
The initiative was coordinated by the Christmas Task Force, a project of Adventist Solidarity Action (ASA) in Brazil, which offers food to people who desperately need it. In partnership with the local church, the couple collected almost 1,300 pounds (590 kg) of food, in addition to a sum of money that will be used to purchase more food items.
A Union with Purpose
Adair and Sabrina met in the same church where they got married, but it was during an initiative knows as 10 Days of Prayer and 10 Hours of Fasting that they got closer together, they said.
Coincidentally, they both prayed the same prayer, asking the Lord to give them a special person to share their life with. “Our union is God’s answer to our prayer, and we felt it had the potential to impact others. So, we decided to renounce to our wedding gifts to help those who need it most,” they shared.
A Call to Reflection
The request for food instead of gifts also conveyed a message to their guests. “We wanted the local church members to reflect on this, seeing how we renounced purchases for ourselves on behalf of the common good. Our goal was to make this special moment in our lives an act of evangelism,” they explained.
For Adair and Sabrina, Christmas is a period of reflection and empathy. “Not everyone will have the opportunity to offer a special meal to their family. Having a caring heart is essential, as we seek to demonstrate the love and example of Christ to our friends in their direst time of need,” they said.
The food collected will be distributed among the people the local church is already supporting, they said.
About the Christmas Task Force
The Christmas Task Force is a project that for more than 30 years has promoted dignity and hope to thousands of families by providing food for Christmas for those who most need it. The movement, which began in Rio de Janeiro, now reaches across eight countries in South America. The theme for the 2024 ChristmasTask Force initiative is “With Jesus at the Table.”
The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Portuguese-language news site.