Christmas treasures found

Early Saturday morning few weeks ago, I quickly put on set of clothes prepared beforehand and take didi (Chinese equivalent of über) to Mariott Courtyard hotel in Suzhou. There are some ladies already there making preparations for Christmas treasures event for women. Esther, the mastermind for this event, gives me a warm hug. She is hyper energetic and her face shines in the indirect and also literal sense of the word, as there is glitter all over it. The glitter is everywhere in fact – on handmade name tags, programs of the event, and tables. There are some vendors already selling for charity and good causes. We wait for our guests to arrive. From those I have invited, six ladies will be coming, two of which are my colleagues at the university, three are students and one is friend. They gradually arrive, and the program starts.

Esther who has been trained as opera singer stats off with some Christmas carols together with the worship team. She takes some high notes which surely no one else in the room could and which resonate to the depths of our bodies and souls. Then there is the Christmas tree decoration and explanation of meanings behind each decoration. One of them is the icicle which represents the sharp, hurting and unlovely things in our lives. Those ladies who want that are invited to hang their icicles on the tree at the stage as an act of surrendering these things to God. The icicles will be prayed over at one of our meetings later on. Then there is a drama about a woman calling to the phone number of psychological support, and it turns out that the one answering the phone is Jesus. He is inviting to call again any time. Next, guest speaker tells about the trip of the wise men to worship baby Jesus and about the meanings of the gifts they offered. At some moments, I wonder what my guests think of the program and if I should comment or explain something, but I feel it is best to sit back and let the content speak for itself. A moving part of the program is singing of the “Silent night, holy night” together while standing up and with lighted candles in our hands. A special dance program by a ballet studio about the theme of Maria, mother of Jesus follows.

As souls of ladies are warmed up, they are ready to give back. Good amount is collected in donations for Claire, a Chinese girl who needs many operations. It looks pretty lively at vendor sales too afterwards. We have a nice lunch and talks with our guests then. Students stick around the longest; we take some pictures next to nice Christmas decorations at the hotel and talk some more. These Chinese students feel it was quite impressive event and the first real experience of Christmas celebration in their lives. I agree that it was a quite special day when I believe many of us found some Christmas treasures, either in form of a thought to consider, Christmas atmosphere enjoyed, a handmade souvenire bought, or else. Perhaps most importantly, our spirits were lifted as we were able to share the message of Christmas peace with our friends. I later on heard there were some women who have lost their family members lately and who were moved to tears during the program. One lady later on shared about quite special guidance by God while being seated so that in the end, the gift of the table went to the person who needed it most (there was a sticker at the tablecloth of each table, and the gift inside the box on the table would go to person sitting oppesite to it).
This event was a fruit of work of many ladies at the church, but meant for wider circle of women. Altogether, there were about 140 present at the event.In the days to follow, I often replay the videos taken at the event on my phone as I go about my day, and review the pictures. And just a few days ago, I received a very special Christmas gift from students I invited. It also included a Christmas greeting engraved in wood which was made into shape of our university participants group picture taken at the event, with each person’s profile and face. This memory will surely be cherished.