Christmas at Messiah College
In three short (hopefully very very short) days, I will be heading home for the holidays. I cannot tell you how ready I am for that. Until then, though, I must figure out how to keep my Christmas Cheer burning bright even though I'm away from my family. Thankfully Messiah had been doing a pretty good job of helping me out with that. Here are all the great things I've gotten to experience related to Christmas while still at college:
1. The Susquehanna Chorale and the African Children's Choir
I guess these two things weren't exactly Christmas related, but it kind of felt like the kick off to the season. The Susquehanna Chorale did sing a few winter/Christmas related songs too, so I'll count it. When I got there and was about to pay for my ticket, they said someone wasn't able to make it and gave me a free ticket really close to the stage, so my view was great! And all the choirs that performed were absolutely phenomenal. I would love to see their exclusively Christmas show too, but unfortunately it's not until after I leave for break! Which is kind of dumb in my opinion, but oh well. Then the African Children's Choir was SO UNBELIEVABLY CUTE, I literally had tears in my eyes from the sheer cuteness overload. So did Marina, okay, I wasn't totally crazy! And they all came out and introduced themselves in their cute little accents and they were so energetic and ugh I just wanted to scoop them all up and take them home with me.
2. Deck the Halls
Deck the Halls is the annual Christmas decorating competition between all the freshman Residence Halls. Emily was in charge of our floor, and it turned out pretty stinking well, if I do say so myself! We didn't end up winning, but I think we certainly put up a valiant effort.
3. Koinonia Gingerbread House Competition
I think it's safe to say that my calling in life is certainly not architecture. In fact, I kind of stayed away from helping my team with the actual house and instead stuck to the detail work, which is certainly more in my wheelhouse. This was another competition which I certainly didn't win, but it was really fun seeing all the other groups' gingerbread creations, and working together with my Bible Study group to make something cute. Well, I guess "cute" is a matter of opinion...but PARTS of it were cute.
4. Special Christmas Music Chapel
This was really cool because I got to participate in it! For this special chapel, three different musical groups from campus got up on stage and performed Christmas songs, and in between each act everyone sang along to some other Christmas tunes. I played with the Orchestra of course, and we performed Greensleeves and Away In A Manger, but aside from us, there was also the Hand Bell Choir, who actually played Carol of the bells...on bells!!! Then there was the Men's Ensemble Choir, and they sounded so good. I love choral music (when it's not obnoxiously operatic or whatever). This was just an overall, fun, Christmassy experience.
5. Special Christmas Reflection Chapel
Not gonna lie, I cried. Two of the student chaplains gave very emotional sermons, and every now and then in between what they were saying, the band would lead the crowd in a verse of "O Come O Come Emmanuel", and it was so beautiful, and there was time for personal reflection or whatever where you were supposed to think about stuff you needed to surrender to God, and you could hear people around you sniffling and crying. Then as I was leaving the chapel, this girl tapped me on the shoulder and said "Hi, I was sitting in front of you, and I just wanted to say that you have a beautiful voice." !!! It made my whole day!!! I also got like five compliments on my outfit that day. Not that that has anything to do with Christmas...
6. Almost Home for the Holidays Christmas Party at the Union
Marina headed home for the weekend on Friday night, so it was just me and Emily (and that's proper grammar!) and Emily's friend Rachel (who's also kind of my friend). There was a party going on at the Union, so we decided to check it out and it ended up being pretty fun. There was a thrift shop area on the top level and I bought a shirt. Then down below there were musicians performing and snacks and different activities. At one point, everyone who was there was asked to get into a circle to play the "Left, Right" game, and we ALL got gifts!!! There were over a hundred people there and the Student Activities Board bought gifts for all of us! It was the sweetest surprise ever. I got a Minion cup.
7. Candy Land Christmas Dance
This event I didn't actually go to, but I was working during it, so I got to benefit from all the music. It was basically just a semi formal Christmas themed dance, and some of the DJs were DJing for the last time ever because they graduated, so it was also a send off for them. There were quite a few cool Dubstep Christmas tunes which I could totally jam to while making flatbreads.
8. Slate Hill Mennonite Church Christmas Pageant
I am so glad I went to church today (I'm always so glad) because it was the Christmas Pageant, which meant I got to see a whole host of little kids dressed as angels and sheep and one donkey with a malfunctioning hood and Mary who's scarf kept falling off and a shepherd who figured out halfway through the show that his head fit perfectly into the hook of his staff. It was so cute and hilarious. Some of the kids also played piano "solos", which involved them plinking out Christmas tunes very slowly on the piano. We also got to sing lots of Christmas songs, which always warms my heart. Then afterwards, there was a Fellowship meal, and my Sunday School teachers gave everyone in our class little care packages to get through Finals week!!!
9. Exchanging gifts with the roomies (and their parents, LOL)!
My second highest Love Language after "Quality Time" is "Gifts". It's not because I'm some greedy little kid who loves to have presents showered on me. It's because I absolutely love buying and making presents for people that I think they will really appreciate, and I also love getting gifts that have obviously been well thought out. I think gifts can be really meaningful. It means a lot to me when someone takes the time and money and thought to get me a gift, and I love giving gifts in return because I love giving someone something that might mean a lot to them too. So it was so awesome having two new people to get presents for this Christmas, and seeing what they got me! I made both the roomies Sharpie mugs designed with their specific personalities in mind (Emily's had the quote "Not all who wander are lost" because she loves traveling, and Marina's had the Brazilian flag because she's from Brazil and loves all things Brazilian). I also got Marina some white chocolate Reese cups because she loves white chocolate, and I got Emily a little plaque with an inspirational quote because I know she loves stuff like that. Then I used up some of my leftover Dining Dollars and bought them each two big cookies. And I wrote them cards and drew cute little pictures on the front. As for what they got me, Marina got me these adorable Santa socks because she knows I love Christmas themed socks, and I am so excited to wear them!!! Emily made me this beautiful canvas collage of a bunch of pictures of the two of us and the three of us from throughout the semester, and in the top corner it says "A good friend is a blessing from God". They were the sweetest, cutest gifts ever!! Their parents also got me presents! Emily's parents made me a little package of chocolate goodies, and a really cute choker necklace and Marina's parents got me a little stocking with a "D" on it, and a little angel Christmas ornament that also has a "D" on it. I feel really loved. <3
For a while I was feeling sorry for myself because it's December and hasn't felt like Christmas at all, which is unusual and annoying because at home, December first kicks off the fun filled Christmas season for me, but since I'm not at home, it hasn't really felt like Christmas at all! It really amplifies the whole missing my home and my family thing, you know? But then Messiah started stepping it up and having some pretty fun and festive events, and I started to feel better. I'm still PSYCHED and totally ready for Christmas break and seeing my family and being done with finals and everything. But I'm doing okay. Hope you are too!!
-VaughnDL
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| Here's a short clip of the African Children's Choir. |
1. The Susquehanna Chorale and the African Children's Choir
I guess these two things weren't exactly Christmas related, but it kind of felt like the kick off to the season. The Susquehanna Chorale did sing a few winter/Christmas related songs too, so I'll count it. When I got there and was about to pay for my ticket, they said someone wasn't able to make it and gave me a free ticket really close to the stage, so my view was great! And all the choirs that performed were absolutely phenomenal. I would love to see their exclusively Christmas show too, but unfortunately it's not until after I leave for break! Which is kind of dumb in my opinion, but oh well. Then the African Children's Choir was SO UNBELIEVABLY CUTE, I literally had tears in my eyes from the sheer cuteness overload. So did Marina, okay, I wasn't totally crazy! And they all came out and introduced themselves in their cute little accents and they were so energetic and ugh I just wanted to scoop them all up and take them home with me.
 |
| Here's the beginnings of our beautifully decorated hallway. |
2. Deck the Halls
Deck the Halls is the annual Christmas decorating competition between all the freshman Residence Halls. Emily was in charge of our floor, and it turned out pretty stinking well, if I do say so myself! We didn't end up winning, but I think we certainly put up a valiant effort.
3. Koinonia Gingerbread House Competition
 |
| One of my contributions to the Gingerbread house was Santa on his sleigh with little Starburst presents. |
4. Special Christmas Music Chapel
This was really cool because I got to participate in it! For this special chapel, three different musical groups from campus got up on stage and performed Christmas songs, and in between each act everyone sang along to some other Christmas tunes. I played with the Orchestra of course, and we performed Greensleeves and Away In A Manger, but aside from us, there was also the Hand Bell Choir, who actually played Carol of the bells...on bells!!! Then there was the Men's Ensemble Choir, and they sounded so good. I love choral music (when it's not obnoxiously operatic or whatever). This was just an overall, fun, Christmassy experience.
5. Special Christmas Reflection Chapel
 |
| The library had this adorable Christmas tree made from books set up! They also have an annual Christmas used book sale going on for the rest of the semester. |
6. Almost Home for the Holidays Christmas Party at the Union
Marina headed home for the weekend on Friday night, so it was just me and Emily (and that's proper grammar!) and Emily's friend Rachel (who's also kind of my friend). There was a party going on at the Union, so we decided to check it out and it ended up being pretty fun. There was a thrift shop area on the top level and I bought a shirt. Then down below there were musicians performing and snacks and different activities. At one point, everyone who was there was asked to get into a circle to play the "Left, Right" game, and we ALL got gifts!!! There were over a hundred people there and the Student Activities Board bought gifts for all of us! It was the sweetest surprise ever. I got a Minion cup.
7. Candy Land Christmas Dance
This event I didn't actually go to, but I was working during it, so I got to benefit from all the music. It was basically just a semi formal Christmas themed dance, and some of the DJs were DJing for the last time ever because they graduated, so it was also a send off for them. There were quite a few cool Dubstep Christmas tunes which I could totally jam to while making flatbreads.
8. Slate Hill Mennonite Church Christmas Pageant
I am so glad I went to church today (I'm always so glad) because it was the Christmas Pageant, which meant I got to see a whole host of little kids dressed as angels and sheep and one donkey with a malfunctioning hood and Mary who's scarf kept falling off and a shepherd who figured out halfway through the show that his head fit perfectly into the hook of his staff. It was so cute and hilarious. Some of the kids also played piano "solos", which involved them plinking out Christmas tunes very slowly on the piano. We also got to sing lots of Christmas songs, which always warms my heart. Then afterwards, there was a Fellowship meal, and my Sunday School teachers gave everyone in our class little care packages to get through Finals week!!!
9. Exchanging gifts with the roomies (and their parents, LOL)!
 |
| I brought a little Christmas cheer back to school with me after Thanksgiving by setting up my pink tinsel tree in the dorm. |
For a while I was feeling sorry for myself because it's December and hasn't felt like Christmas at all, which is unusual and annoying because at home, December first kicks off the fun filled Christmas season for me, but since I'm not at home, it hasn't really felt like Christmas at all! It really amplifies the whole missing my home and my family thing, you know? But then Messiah started stepping it up and having some pretty fun and festive events, and I started to feel better. I'm still PSYCHED and totally ready for Christmas break and seeing my family and being done with finals and everything. But I'm doing okay. Hope you are too!!
-VaughnDL
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