Spanish-English Angel Tree Event

Saturday, December 12, some 220 persons participated in a bi-lingual “Angel Tree” service at New Home United Methodist Church. Others who could not attend had also helped prepare the Christmas gifts for children of some 54 families who were unemployed. The service was more than just giving Christmas gifts; donor families came to get acquainted with those receiving their gifts. It was a time of beginning relationships between these people of two different cultures. A number of bi-lingual persons were there to move around with the different groups helping translate. There was a lot of fun and laughing at the attempts of both groups to speak the other’s language.

After a time of fellowship, Rev. Ivan Roman led the group in a service based on the meaning of Christmas. Rev. Roman of SIFAT is assisting Rev. Sherrill Corson in planting a new bilingual congregation. He spoke each part of his message in both English and Spanish. “Jesus came to reconcile us to God and to each other,” he said as he pointed to the cross, with a vertical axis pointing to God and a horizontal one pointing out to others. Rev. Robert Mount of Wedowee UMC gave a special children’s part with magic tricks done with colored paper which communicated the Christmas message almost without words. As they asked the children to learn a short Bible verse, the children all yelled “In English! In English!”

Afterwards, one Hispanic lady asked to speak to Rev. Sherrill Corson of Wadley UMC and church planter. “We are so grateful,” she said. “We are all hard-working people and we don’t want to take welfare, but now when we don’t have work, we don’t want our children to be hurt. This has made Christmas more than just gift giving for our children. They have felt Jesus’ love through you. What can I do to give something back? Would it be appropriate to cook some Mexican food for the family who helped me?” A true spirit of love and of the real meaning of Christmas filled the church as the people from different cultures came together as one in Christ.

Representatives from eight area churches…Ava UMC, Wedowee UMC, Wadley First Baptist, Wadley UMC, Midway UMC, Corinth UMC, Ashland UMC, Almond UMC and from one club…the Quest Club of Wadley, and SIFAT made the event possible. This Angel Tree Service was part of the on-going Hispanic Ministry led by Rev. Sherrill Corson, pastor of Wadley United Methodist Church.  

As a follow up to the Angel Tree festivites and in the continual spirit of building relationships, Rev. Sherrill Corson and husband, Chris Corson, enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Day dinner in the shed at trailer park #88 with many of our Hispanic brothers & sisters.

Rev. Corson writes "it was an absolute feast of roasted pig, taquitos, rice and poncha (a hot fruit drink). Great care had been given to place tablecloths and Christmas decorations on the makeshift tables of sawhorses and wooden planks."