Journey to the Manger

We wanted our family to experience a live Bethlehem scene at this special time of year. There were a few different churches doing this event on the same night. We went to one in McKinney but the line of traffic was incredibly long and slow. We didn't think our kids would hold up since we were already nearing their usual bedtime. So we switched gears and headed to Plano.

The St. Paul Lutheran Church was hosting their free community-wide event of Journey to the Manger. They did a great job!

We entered the city to pay our taxes and enjoyed the sights, sounds, and smells of the marketplace. There were fruit merchants, flour millers, carpenters, spice merchants, musicians, potters, basket weavers, bakers, among other vendors. It was very hands-on for the kids. We got to taste samples, grind flour, smell spices, touch pottery clay, play tambourines and beat drums, and so forth.After exiting the marketplace, we then experienced the re-enactment of the coming of Jesus Christ through 6 narrated outdoor scenes. We were so glad we had our heavy coats on! It was well done, accurate, and the kids were totally drawn in. At the end, when our group headed towards the fellowship hall for refreshments, Sophie stayed back and asked if she could see the baby Jesus (a swaddled doll) and they happily obliged.We were warmed by hot cocoa and tasty cookies and friendly conversation before we headed out to our cars to call it a night. It was a wonderful time and, again, a delightful way to focus on our Savior this time of year.