Children’s Christmas Event Marks a Decade of Interfaith Ties

(For Non-Muslim Use Only)

To commemorate over a decade of interfaith ties, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Malaysia invited child beneficiaries from the Pure Life Society (PLS) to join its children’s Christmas celebration. Held in

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conjunction with its annual “Light the World” worldwide campaign, the event took place on December 14, 2024 at the Church’s Kuala Lumpur district center. Around 100 participants, comprising 60 children and youth from both organizations, attended with PLS staff and Church leaders, volunteers and families.

The event was organized by members of the Church’s National Communication Council (NCC), who have been supporting PLS and its umbrella organizations, the Center for Spiritual Advancement and Interfaith Spiritual Fellowship. On both local and international platforms, the organizations collaborated through joint events, seminars, community projects, and regular meetings. Thus, to reciprocate this long friendship, the NCC welcomed PLS’ children to learn more about and celebrate Christmas together. PLS provides the children with accommodation, daily meals, academic support, medical needs, and other services to prepare them for adulthood and employment. 

Friedrich Che, a volunteer for the Church, said, “I am thankful for the opportunity to serve the children from PLS and from our district Primary during this Christmas season. I believe that through our acts of service, we set an example of being Christ-like to these children and others.” He went on to explain, “For us as Latter-day Saints, we share Christ-like love because we believe all are God’s children.”

In line with the Church’s global Christmas ministry, the event theme was “children are an heritage to the Lord”.  The event saw children from both organizations mingling with those their age and engaging in the busy program.

“We really enjoyed today’s activities. I have never experienced something like this. I learned Bible stories about Jesus and Bethlehem. Today is a very happy day for me. My heart is filled with joy,” shared a child from PLS. Another commented, “The food was delicious and everyone was nice to us. I enjoyed singing Christmas songs, drawing and coloring, and the puppet show.”

V. Malarveli, Education Facilitator for PLS who was chaperoning the children expressed, “Like the children, I am also very happy today to enjoy a Christmas celebration with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The puppet show was really amazing, especially to watch the children participate in singing and narrating. Thank you very much for making today special for the children.”

Four activities were carried out:

1. Volunteer Sister Julie Haltinner led the children in a craft session to make bead bracelets and fill a Nativity themed coloring book;
2. Volunteer Friedrich Che assisted with guiding the children to draw and color a Nativity landscape backdrop for the puppet show;
3. Volunteer Dawn Chow led other volunteers to conduct a singalong session to teach the children a few Christmas songs;
4. Volunteer Elder Dan Haltinner helped the children practice using hand puppets to join in the finale Nativity puppet show.

The activities ran concurrently with each group of children rotating to the next one every 20 to 30 minutes. After this segment, they were treated to a meal with popular children’s food like pizza, nuggets, brownies and jelly.

Following lunch, it was time for the highly anticipated Nativity puppet show. The children gathered in the chapel hall to perform their parts: narrating from the given script, singing Christmas songs, and playing the hand puppets at each specific scene to tell the story of Jesus’s birth. They were accompanied by volunteers who coordinated the performance, accompanied them on the piano, and conducted the music. Rousing applause followed the children’s performance.

At the conclusion of the event, Brian Chan from the Church’s Kuala Lumpur district presidency said, “I am happy and grateful to have both PLS and the Church’s Primary children mingling together during this event. The presence of parents, guardians, and volunteers to extend their support and joy is very important, especially during the Christmas season.”

President Chan highlighted the Nativity puppet show, saying, “It was really great to witness the children from PLS puppeteering the story of Christ’s birth. I hope they felt His Spirit, and this unique day at our chapel during the Christmas season will have lasting memories for them.”