The MYP hosted their annual Christmas Day event at Holy Trinity Church in Whitestone, NY, on Friday, December 6, 2019. The icebreaker was stickers placed on everyone’s backs that had a Christmas themed item requiring answers to, “Who Am I?” This was a great opportunity for everyone to speak to each other . This led us into a great buffet dinner. The first talk was, “Christ’s Gift of Hope,” given by me. The theme of the talk was our calling as Christians to give the gift of hope to everyone in our lives, particularly in our ministry to others. Then, we watched video scenes from “Christmas Eve on Sesame Street,” a different interpretation of the Gift of the Magi. Following a Large Group discussion, we went into our small groups to discuss particular people in our lives that we give hope to. The group then came together to organize a wrap gifts for teenagers in residence at the Briarwood Family Inn in Briarwood, Queens. This year, the challenge was to provide gifts for over seventy teens—more than double previous years. It was incredibly humbling and inspiring to work with the teens and Team with wrapping presents, assembling mugs (with hot chocolate & treats) and organizing the gifts so that they could be delivered easily. This beautiful evening concluded with prayer service. As always, this event is a great way to appreciate all that we have; to embrace the Advent season and to just be mindful that we can make a difference in people’s lives with simple acts of love and hope. The Holy Spirit was truly present at Holy Trinity that night!