THE UNCHANGING CHRISTMAS HOPE!

Juliette Arulrajah, MMS Area Director of Laos

“Laos is primarily a Buddhist country with only 2% of its population Christian. However, Christmas is celebrated in a unique way for unlike other countries that have commercialised the festival, the real essence of the festival is still preserved in Laos.” (Laotian Times on 18 November 2021)

It underscored the personal and relational aspects of celebrating Christmas through gift-giving, virtual gatherings despite COVID-19, spending time with family, or even going on outdoor activities, etc.

At the Singapore Mission School (SMS), Christmas is celebrated annually both within and outside the school. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions last year, it had to be more subdued. Typically, and even in 2020, the children and staff have a great fun-filled time in school where they come together to sing carols and exchange gifts by candlelight some time before Christmas.

In the days before Christmas, the vibrant group of children from SMS brilliantly dressed in greens, reds, and whites also bring Christmas joy and cheer to others around in the community as they visit neighbouring schools to bless the children and staff there both with songs of joy and hope as well as small gifts highlighting the beautiful message of giving to and loving others. In a similar fashion, the SMS Carollers led by the principal and teachers also bring hope and love to adults at other institutions including the Ambassador and staff at the Singapore embassy in Vientiane, Laos.

When due to COVID-19, the SMS Carollers could not venture out of the school to bless others, they creatively produced a short video of carols with a message of positivity and hope and sent it out to bring the warmth of love to others around them. Gifts with messages of encouragement from SMS leadership were also a hallmark of Christmas 2021.

A special Christmas gift arrived in the midst of challenging circumstances in December 2021 when a key staff of the school who was pregnant developed COVID-19 and her little baby boy was born on Christmas Day without COVID-19. He was looked after by a relative as he had to be separated from both his COVID-19-ridden parents for days. Filled with the Christmas peace and love during this difficult time for the family, this Christmas miracle baby and his parents are all doing very well now as they continue to enjoy lovely family times together.

The gift and message of love, joy, and hope of Christmas is always constant and unchanging.

Circumstances and world events change but the gift and message of love, joy, and hope of Christmas is always constant and unchanging though it may be packaged creatively and differently to suit the ever-changing situation around us. This coming Christmas is one which SMS leadership hope will continue to overflow with the beautiful message of love and giving as children and staff gear themselves to be messengers and ambassadors of love, peace, and joy!

Merry Christmas! Suksan Van Khrismad!