Last night we had a wonderful activity inspired by many accounts of other wards doing it, including this one. We decided to make it a fireside for the youth. We told the youth that we would meet at the church and go caroling. We tried to carol to 5 houses, all of which rejected us. The first house had to run to a Christmas party, the second had a headache, the third looked out the front door and then turned off the porch light, at the fourth house she had hurt herself, and the fifth house her husband was sleeping.
So we decided to go back up to church and decide what to do next. When we turned on the gym lights, there were chairs set up around the TV. As soon as everyone had a seat, we watched the church's nativity story. Then the Bishop (who was the house that had to go to a Christmas party) talked to the youth about how Joseph must have felt to have been turned away from the inns and how Christ must have felt during his life to be rejected. The spirit was amazing in the room. While he was talking the families that rejected us slowly started trickling in. After Bishop was done we let the youth carol to the families and have refreshments.
As I was helping plan this I thought I would be a great experience, but it was better than I had imagined. I rode in a vehicle with several of our young women. They were so excited to go caroling and had been talking about doing it all month. After each house, they would just jump back in the vehicle, say oh well, and then ask to go to the next house. They showed concern for the families but they were not discouraged by the rejections. They sang in the vehicle as we traveled to each of the homes and enjoyed being together. I think they felt the spirit as strong as I did while our Bishop spoke and I think it will be something that stays with them.
So we decided to go back up to church and decide what to do next. When we turned on the gym lights, there were chairs set up around the TV. As soon as everyone had a seat, we watched the church's nativity story. Then the Bishop (who was the house that had to go to a Christmas party) talked to the youth about how Joseph must have felt to have been turned away from the inns and how Christ must have felt during his life to be rejected. The spirit was amazing in the room. While he was talking the families that rejected us slowly started trickling in. After Bishop was done we let the youth carol to the families and have refreshments.
As I was helping plan this I thought I would be a great experience, but it was better than I had imagined. I rode in a vehicle with several of our young women. They were so excited to go caroling and had been talking about doing it all month. After each house, they would just jump back in the vehicle, say oh well, and then ask to go to the next house. They showed concern for the families but they were not discouraged by the rejections. They sang in the vehicle as we traveled to each of the homes and enjoyed being together. I think they felt the spirit as strong as I did while our Bishop spoke and I think it will be something that stays with them.
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