Celebration is in the air as Christmas approaches. For many people it is all about buying and selling of Christmas regalia and the decoration of homes, churches and business centres especially where christian communities predominate.

Among institutions and groups which identify with and participate in the celebration is the Oyeteju christian School located in Oyeteju, a village 15 kilometres north of Ibadan, off the Ibadan-Oyo double carriage way.  The day was Wednesday December 19 and the venue was the Ojopoode Mission Church. The event, a christimas outreach by the staff and children of Oyeteju Christian School. Ojopoode itself is a village located on a hillside about two kilometers down the road from Oyeteju.

What is the connection between the two villages? The founder of the school at Oyeteju is the Pastor of the church at Ojopoode and he lives in that village.

So, the children of Oyeteju school moved to their Pastor/Founder’s community to celebrate.

And it was a joyous day, for the children, youth and adults present. For the 47 adults, it was a reminder of their childhood when at this time in school and in churches, they sang

O Come All Ye Faithful…

Jingle Bell Jingle Bell…

The children, at Ojopoode, in their bright attires, sang and sang, such that Christ, who loves children so much, would have looked down from heaven with approval, Matt. 19:13-15.

The original story of the birth of Christ was the only lesson, read by one of the children, Luke 2:1-20, followed by exhortation and prayers by Pastors.

Father Christmas was on hand to give gifts to all the 152 children from both Oyeteju and Ojopoode who, it must be said, were so excited that they would have preferred to stay on enjoying themselves right into the night or, indeed forever, if it were possible.

For us from the Kaykay Fellowship Ibadan, who travelled to Ojopoode to participate in the event, it was a reminder that our involvement with the Oyeteju Christian School, which we part-founded in 2007 must continue.

It is a christian duty.  God would be pleased. And so would Pastor Powell, Missionary and founding Pastor of Kaykay Fellowship, and under whose leadership Oyeteju Christian School was established.