I'd been looking for a good Nativity Set for numerous years. I would see one that I quite liked, but it just didn't seem to be what I wanted and I hesitated to spend good money on something that only comes out once a year, unless it was something extra special.
About three years ago (I think) I came across a set all of a sudden (I wasn't actually looking for one at the time) and knew that this was the one. So I arranged to purchase one then and there, and it took quite a few months for it to arrive, but it was well worth the wait.
The background story is that the nativity set was made by Christian Women in Poland, who sew the figures to support their families. Each piece was hand-sewn by a different woman. The nativity sets are a ministry of the Elim Christian Centre in Poland.
Please realise that my poor photography skills won't really do the set justice, it's a thousand times better in real life. Also please ignore the fire place in the background, I was too lazy to crop the photos down (and lack of time).
Here is the first photo of the complete set...
The figures are filled with rice (or sand) and this is done by the recipient (to make postage much cheaper). Even with my pathetic sewing skills I was able to put in some rice and sew the tiny hole together. The rice (or sand) means that each figure can be slightly posed, to lean forward or backward, however you like. This comes in handy when using them to illustrate the Christmas Story, as the shephards can lean back to look up at the angel or lean forward to worship Jesus. Here is a closer photo of Joseph, Mary, the manger and the sheep. Notice the cute donkey in the background. (I realise that the Bible does not actually say there were animals present, but a nativity set wouldn't be complete without them).
My favourite are the Wise Men and the Camels. To avoid confusion I'm considering placing the Wise Men and Camels in a seperate room of the house, or at least at the other end of the room, so they can be travelling to see the Saviour, rather then appearing to be present at His birth. Here is a photo of the Wise Men with the Camels...
The boys adore moving them around and playing with them. They are fairly child friendly, although Caleb is banned from touching them unless someone is with him!!The final photo is of one of the shepherds (there are two). I forgot to take photos of the angel, which is placed on top of the fire place. But that will give you something to look forward to seeing next year!
Matthew 1:21
"And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
Matthew 1:21
"And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
1 comment:
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
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