During the month of December, Warm Beach Camp and Conference Center transforms into a beacon of light and hope, drawing thousands of individuals from all walks of life to enjoy the festive atmosphere of The Lights of Christmas. Every detail of The Lights of Christmas, from over one million lights and dazzling displays to the larger-than-life Nativity scene and the kind hospitality of event staff, hints toward something more miraculous at work behind the scenes.

Last year, while working down in Admissions, a vehicle came through with two tickets. After explaining that, regardless of how many individuals are in the car, only one ticket is needed per vehicle. Without skipping a beat, the man handed me the extra ticket and said to “pay it forward.” He wished for his extra ticket to be a gift for a family that does not yet have one. I thanked him for his kindness, and he warmly said, “This is what Christmas is all about.”

The extra ticket was tucked into the pocket of my yellow vest, and I carried on checking in vehicle after vehicle. Sometime later, a silver car pulled up beside me with a family of six inside. I asked to see their ticket, but there was a slight language barrier. So, when I tried to explain that a ticket was needed, the man pulled out a credit card and said, “Ukraine…Ticket?”

Looking in the backseat and seeing the smiling faces of the young children, I pulled out the extra ticket, scanned it, pulled out my cell phone, and used Google Translate. Through that bridge-gapping technology, I informed the man that there was no need for him to buy a ticket, as it had already been paid for by the generosity of a complete stranger. Upon hearing that, he began to cry and kept saying, “Thank you, thank you!” The man and his wife exchanged a few words, and then she spoke up, saying, “Thank you! We are from Ukraine and miss our home, but moved here for our children. We wanted to have an American Christmas, so we came here…thank you.” Moved by their response to the unexpected kindness of a stranger, I expressed how glad we were to have them here and that we do all of this to share the love of Christ. Through nods of recognition and tear-filled eyes, the man said, “God bless you!” as they pulled forward into the event route.

That humbling encounter brought tears to my eyes and served as a fresh reminder of the true reason we put on The Lights of Christmas. Thousands of people who would not ordinarily attend Camp will soon arrive to experience the wonder of The Lights of Christmas. Each and every one of those people has a story that we may never have the privilege of hearing, but God knows exactly what is needed to bring forth hope and love into their lives.

The Lights of Christmas has a profound spiritual impact within our community. Please join the ministry in praying for the thousands of people who will experience the abundant love of Christ through this event. Thank you!

-The Lights of Christmas Admissions Agent