Merriment and joy filled the church on Sunday December 19th when PBBC celebrated the birth of Jesus with carols and scriptures about the story of Christmas. Images of Mary, Gabriel, the shepherds and the three wise men and the nativity scene were projected on the screen while scripture verses were read both in English and Karen. Carols were sung by the congregation apart from individuals singing some of the selected songs. The children also contributed an item at the beginning of the program. The pastor of St. John’s Baptist Church Rev. Dave Powles and his family also graced the occasion with their presence and we also had other American friends joining us. Benediction was pronounced by Rev. Powles at the end of the worship program.


There was potluck dinner after the service with various traditional Burmese dishes prepared by groups of members from different localities in Philadelphia. Not only the food was great but presentation of gifts was highlighted by the presence of Santa who distributed gifts to the kids as well as young members and guests. It was truly a happy occasion, especially for the kids from refugee camps to see Santa in person. Everybody went home filled with love, peace and joy of Christmas.