If you have not been to Journey Through Bethlehem at Shady Lawn Mennonite Church on Hwy 5 between Drasco and Mountain View, then put it on next year’s Christmas activities list! Last year was my family’s first year attending and we were definitely impressed. We were extra blessed to have shared this experience with my grandparents.
Upon arriving at the church, we were warmly greeted by the smell of freshly baked cookies, friendly faces, a hot cocoa/coffee bar, and little “shops” and games as we waited to be accompanied by a group of travelers journeying to Bethlehem. The journey was a dark and chilly trek but filled with good company, animals, fireside conversations, and angelic singing. Once we arrived in Bethlehem, we were greeted with lots of unique shops, food, villagers, more warming fires, and everything nice you could ever hope for! While our visit in town was short, we searched for lodging and quickly got turned away by the innkeeper. Alas, we found our refuge at a stable with a very loving donkey and the cutest calf! The entrance of Jesus Christ in the world meant that our journey was over. We were given a hay ride back to reality, where we heard about the death and saw the ressurrection of Christ – the one who came as the living blood sacrifice for all of eternity.
“[…] choose this day whom you will serve […]”
– Joshua 24:15
My family had a wonderful experience at Shady Lawn Mennonite Church for this live nativity. My grandpa’s favorite part of the entire experience was the fresh baked cookies. Sadly, both my grandma and grandpa were in bad health and had to ride the church’s Mule through the journey. However, I am really glad that we were able to convince them to go with us last year, as that was my grandpa’s last Christmas with us. He went to his Heavenly home this past July and shared experiences like this one was made even more special with his death.
Located in our area, my mom and I are taking a group of ladies from our Women’s Social Travel group to experience Journey Through Bethelehem for their first time this year. While they are all excited to experience something as unique to our area as this event, I have no doubt they will have as much fun as my grandpa did while he was eating those cookies (his favorite food group!). I miss my grandpa and wish I could give him more experiences like this one, but I am looking forward to sharing this experience with other people. Everyone deserves to live life to the fullest and experience all the good things in this world. Let us spread the word and share in good experiences!
Shady Lawn Mennonite Church puts on such a fantastic event! Journey Through Bethlehem is much like Bethlehem Revisited in Conway, only to a much smaller degree. If you can attend both events, I highly recommend them – especially if you have kids and/or grandkids. This event’s smaller size is perfect for people of all ages and even singles. It is free and everyone is welcome to attend! However, it is by reservation only and limited availability.
What is your favorite thing about live nativities?
