With the purpose of giving the Sangetsu Flower to a larger number of children, a series of activities were carried out during the month of January. This way, it was also possible to take the basic practices of the Messianic faith to these children’s homes and daily lives.

Planting Carnations in Central Headquarters

On January 3, eight children were gathered at the Mozambique Central Headquarters to plant carnations. In this service, it was possible to show the children every flower-planting stage: sowing, watering, making the seedlings, compost preparation, soil preparation, planting, and how to take care of the flowers. During the entire activity, emphasis was given to the importance of feeling love and gratitude for the soil and the flowers, and of combining technique and feeling when caring for them.

Every child had the chance to work hands-on with the soil and they were very concentrated and happy helping each other. In order to foster the children’s involvement and commitment, each one planted a flower seedling in a vase, which they took home to take care of them there.

At the end of the activity, some children shared their opinion:

• Erika (9 years old – attendee): “I learned that small plants don’t need much water to grow, but they need some kind of cover to protect them from too much sun. We must cover the seed with a little bit of earth so they won’t fly away.”
• Eliana (13 years old – attendee): “I leaned that plants need much love and care to grow.”
• Bruno (4 years old – member): “I learned that plants need water to grow strong and healthy. When my flower grows, I make a very beautiful Ikebana.”
• Thandy (6 years old – attendee): “I learned that plants need compost in order to be nurtured.”
• Silecq (6 years old – member): “I learned that flowers and plants need water to grow.”
• Keila (10 years old – member): “I learned that we must mix earth with compost to feed a plant.”

Planting Lilies at Ponta Vermelha Johrei Center

On January 13, a group of 12 children and young adults gathered at Ponta Vermelha Johrei Center, in Maputo, Mozambique. The activity involved planting lily seedlings in a public garden in front of the religious unit. Some adults who were there at the unit also participated in the activity.

After learning about all the stages of soil preparation and seedling planting, each one planted a carnation in a vase to take care at home.

Some children and young adults also shared their ideas:

• Mariana (10 years old – member): “I enjoyed it very much; we must take good care of the plant, otherwise it will not grow. It is as if it were our child!”
• Kenzo (9 yearsold – member): “I liked it very much! I learned many new things; I learned how to plant!”
• Jéssica (12 years old – attendee): “I learned that we must talk to a plant, to greet it.”
• Giliardo (15 years old – member): “I learned that we must take care of a plant the same way our parents take care of us.”
• Henry (7 years old – attendee): “I was happy, because I learned how to plant and then to take care of the plant.”
• Elvis (11 years old – attendee): “Today I learned how to plant a seed and how to water it.”
• Arminda (10 years old – attendee): “I really liked to learn how to water a plant, to greet it, and to take good care of it.”
• Sharlin (6 years old – attendee): “I am too shy to talk, but I really enjoyed it.”
• Candido (6 years old – attendee): “What I liked the best was the flower.”
• Wilson (4 years old – attendee): “Today I liked planting, watering, and talking to the plant.”

Visiting and Planting Seedlings in Children’s Homes

Following the activity at the Central Headquarters, on January 3, visits to the homes of the children who participated in the activity began. When arriving at the building where two of the children lived, the Church members who had been carrying out the activity with them, realized that two carnation seedlings that had been planted had disappeared, probably taken by other children who lived in the same building. Soon, another activity was carried out including all the children from that building, totaling 11 participants.

At the end, every child took home a plant and a flower of light to give someone. They liked it so much that it was necessary to schedule the next activity.

All of them worked with the soil and they were very concentrated and happy, helping each other. In order to foster involvement and commitment on the part of the little ones, each one planted a flower plant in a vase, which they took home to care for them there.

The children said the following:

• Racel (12 years old – first time participant): “I liked everything, mainly when I found out that when the plant (carnation) withers and dries, we can take seeds from them; but chrysanthemums, we can multiply them using the stalk. I also learned that when we plant a plant in a pot, first we have to make a hole in the bottom, place some stones in it, then soil and compost, and finally we can plant the seed.”
• Eloa (7 years old – first time participant): “I liked to learn how to plant. I am going to take care of them with much love, every day.”
• Luena Faife (11 years old – first time participant): “I also liked everything. I learned that we must show our feelings to plans, because they too have feelings towards us, for they are living beings.”
• Gislaine (10 years old – first time participant): “I liked learning that plants have feelings, because they are living beings.”
• Sandy (13 years old – first time participant): “I liked learning that there are plants that when their flowers wither, then can generate many other flowers through seeds. I also learned that the earth has to be strong, enriched with compost from dry leaves, and that at the end we have to put some straw.”
• Adijah (11 years old – first time participant): “I liked using dry leaves to change them into compost. I very much liked to work hands on with earth and to plant.”
• Nicol (10 years old – first time participant): “I liked everything and I learned that we can plant using one single seed, and that we can use dry seeds to grow another flower.”
• Shakil (9 years old – first time participant): “I liked it, because I didn’t know what could grow from earth and I didn’t know that we could speak to plants.”
• Bruno (4 years old – member): “Today I learned that small plants need water to grow strong. And that it is necessary to water them in the morning and at night.”
• Silecq (6 years old – member): “I liked this day.”