The theme for Advent is Stories of Christmas

(Each week will be a new Christmas Story from one of our parishioners for you to enjoy)

This week’s Christmas Story is by John Whitbread

In 1984 Avis and I stayed with friends in Toronto Canada during which time they took us to an Amish settlement nearby. We finished up, as we usually did, in a craft shop situated in an old many-storied mill.

It contained a great range of beautiful and pricey items made by local craftsmen. In particular there was a nativity scene of numerous pieces carved in olive wood, which we admired, and eventually bought.

To our dismay, however, when we returned home to Australia and unwrapped the nativity there was no carved figure of Joseph and so each subsequent Christmas we missed Joseph.

Several years later our son Geoff, and his wife left for overseas and planned to visit our Toronto friends. Avis casually suggested to Sue, our daughter-in-law, that she should try and find Joseph. Being a resourceful person, when they visited the craft shop at Amish settlement she spoke of Joseph to the very ancient lady behind the counter.

The old lady asked them to wait while she went upstairs. Returning some minutes later she handed the carved figure of Joseph to Sue together with an additional camel. Joseph was wrapped in very dusty old newspaper; he had been very patient.

He was subsequently restored to his family and takes his place in the scene each Christmas.