Thousands gathered in City Harvest Church over the Christmas holidays to celebrate the season of love and to hear the greatest love story ever told—the birth of Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world.

The four services which were held over two days on Dec. 24 and 25, 2009 in Singapore Expo and Jurong West St 91, got off to a melodic start as the congregation sang to the tunes of familiar Christmas carols like ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ and ‘Silent Night.’

The annual Christmas drama production is a major highlight in the City Harvest calendar. This year, A Christmas Love Story, a contemporary retelling of the nativity tale, focused on the biblical journey of the young Mary and Joseph and the challenges they encountered in their relationship.

Far from being just the simple story retold numerous times over the years, A Christmas Love Story depicted the story of two people whose lives were touched and chosen by God to provide an earthly home for His Son.

Set against a backdrop of jealousy, uncertainty and love, Mary (played by Anne Ng), a young teenage girl finds herself supernaturally impregnated. Faced with family conflicts, a hostile environment and a great responsibility, she is upset when others did not believe her. Mary’s fiancé Joseph (played by Timothy Wan) was also convinced that Mary had a premarital affair and ended their relationship. They reconcile again after a divine encounter with an angel and learn what it means to see each other through for better or worse.

The traditional story was given a vibrant new twist with references to familiar pop songs and culture to bring the story to life. The audience was visibly tickled when some of the male cast danced and sang their rendition of a popular dance song “I Gotta Feeling,” by the Black Eyed Peas.

Timothy Wan, a 21-year-old student who was the lead actor of the drama production, was given the opportunity to sing for his role, which he admitted was one of the most challenging roles he had ever played. “Singing a song was one of the important challenges for this role. Since it was live show and not a pre-recorded track, I had to ensure every performance had to be a good one,” he said.

His efforts have paid off, because many felt that the drama production managed to capture the essence of Christmas.

“I enjoyed the production, especially the part where Joseph and Mary got back together after the misunderstanding. It must have been hard back then. I thought it was especially touching, because they decided to stick through thick and thin, and I think that captures the spirit of Christmas. It is a time for forgiving your loved ones, a time of joy and love,” said 28-year-old manager, Tan Sihui.

Twenty-five-year-old Xu Chunshan agrees. “Sometimes we can get so busy that we forget to appreciate the true meaning of Christmas. For me, I was reminded of the importance of reaching out and showing kindness and love to people who are in need. Just like the scene where Joseph and Mary were looking for a room but found none, we are living in a society today where people are looking for a miracle. I believe we can shine that light into their hearts and make a difference in peole’s lives,” said Xu, a social worker.

PHOTOS: Albert Soh, Alvin Loh and Jayson Lee

Senior pastor Kong Hee also preached a messgae about the three types of people Jesus met. First there were the innkeepers, who rejected Jesus because they were too busy to make room for Him at their inns. Secondly, there was King Herod who was too proud to accept Jesus. And lastly, there were the three Wise Men who came searching for God and were transformed when they met Jesus face to face, in spite of their initial unbelief.

The Christmas service ended with the singing of carols and more celebration. As the congregation exchanged greetings and hugs, it was also a timely reminder for everyone that love can overcome obstacles in the new year ahead.

An old lady sits by the window and looks out at the children playing in the snow covered lawn. She sighs softly as she recalls how her family used to gather at Christmas time and there would be laughter and cheer. These days, she spends Christmas alone by herself. Suddenly, there is a knock on her door and from outside comes the sound of angelic voices. As the carolers sang the songs of love, joy and peace, her heart was filled with warmth once again.

There is nothing like the singing of Christmas carols to draw in the festive cheer and joy of the season. With this in mind, several groups from City Harvest Church got down to planning, rehearsing and staging their own caroling performances at various housing estates, rehabilitation centers, elderly care centers and nursing homes.

A Matter of Heart

For the AN Zone with more than 100 people, their caroling was not the usual type heard at shopping malls. They got together to translate traditional Christmas carols into Mandarin and Hokkien in order to appeal to the Mandarin and dialect speaking families that made up the lower bracket in the Dakota Crescent housing estate. Following days of rehearsals, the carolers broke themselves up into groups of 10 and set out to spread the Christmas cheer, door to door, bringing with them gift hampers for each family.

“This initiative is very meaningful as it involved a lot of heart. We didn’t just go through the motion of singing Christmas carols, we stayed to chat with the residents for a while. One or two of the households had a sick family member and we were able to spend some time bringing comfort, just by being there with them,” says Christina Chiang, one of the organizers from the AN Zone.

For members of the JX Zone who visited the Tampines Social Day Care Center for the Elderly, their planning involved games and activities for the elderly. Special thought and care were put into the program line-up and the contents of the Christmas “goody bags” prepared by the 60-strong group.

Eunice, an officer from the center, commented, “I am impressed with the spirit and love shown by this group of people. They brought out the essence of Christmas to the elderly here.”

JX Zone also brought the cheer of Christmas carols to Sin Ming Road, at the lobby of block 26. The block of apartments comprised of families living in one-room HDB flats. “We can never know how far an act of kindness may reach. As we were caroling and giving out Christmas goody bags to children, we stumbled upon a family from Myanmar, who had just arrived in Singapore. The three children were homesick, but the caroling and goody bags definitely brightened up their day,” said Jack Leow of JX Zone. “This area is a much forgotten neighborhood with many ex-drug addicts, mental patients and elderly left on their own. We could see that the residents were very happy to participate in the block party.”

JX Zone plans to return with a follow up visit sometime in the near future.

Helping Oneself Through Helping Others

MY Zone, one of the smaller zones in CHC, embarked on a Weekend of Hope, in a bid to encourage its own members to look outside of the four walls of their own individual lives. “When one is troubled by the situation around you, sometimes the best thing to do is to look beyond your problems and help to meet other people’s needs. Even though it doesn’t erase your problems, it does help you to see that there’s much in life to be thankful for,” said Liang Mei Yan, MY Zone’s supervisor.

The group of 25 visited the Orange Valley Nursing Home in Thomson Road, and put up a brilliant magic show for the elderly. The group also took time to interact and befriend the patrons. According to Liang, MY Zone is the first group to visit the home since the restrictions imposed during the peak of the H1N1 virus.

There was one particular elderly lady who refused to participate in any of the activities organized by the group. It was the Christmas carols that eventually drew her out of her ward and she finally sat down with the group to listen to the performance, much to the surprise of the staff.

MY Zone also brought the Christmas cheer to two other nursing homes as part of their Weekend of Hope project.

When it came to elderly folk, Victor Wong believed that there was nothing like Karaoke to bring in the cheer.  Close to 80 members in the VIC Zone brought new towels and other sundry items to the Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home in Thomson Road. After distributing the items, the group performed Christmas carols in Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien. True to belief, the elderly folk warmed up immensely to the Karaoke session as the zone members sang and danced together with them.

PHOTOS: Ivan Loh

Said Wong, “Through our interaction with them, we could see that some of them are very lonely. We want to try our best to connect with them, even if it means speaking in a dialect we are not very familiar with, or simply just singing a song together with them. They really do enjoy that.”

“This simple community exercise has helped us to appreciate the elderly in our own households. All of the zone members have gone back to their own homes, cherishing their grandparents and their own elderly parents even more.”

Something for the Children

At Christmas time, it has to be the children that enjoyed the most.   Thirty-five people representing ET Zone shopped for and wrapped up a total of 88 Christmas presents to give out to the children at the Singapore Anglican Community Services (SACS).

The moment the group reached SACS, they were greeted by a crowd of excited children who were anticipating their arrival all morning. Their enthusiasm was engaging as every child participated in the games and activities organized just for them. When it came to a time of caroling, the children sang at the top of their lungs, mimicking the actions to the songs.

“The excitement and energy of these children just amazes me. There is no trace of sadness or self-pity from any one even though they come from challenging backgrounds,” noted Edmund Tay, supervisor of ET Zone. What touched the hearts of the zone members was how the children came up to them to thank them for the Christmas lunch that was catered by the zone.

To the visitors’ surprise, the children had rehearsed for a special item to perform for them. Many truly felt the warmth of the Christmas spirit that day.

Contributed by Koh Yong Hui

Billy Wang, or better known to his fans as DongFang Billy, is a familiar voice on Singapore’s Mandarin radio waves. He first came to Singapore in the late 1980s, and after stints on variety shows, he entered into the world of radio. In 1993, a terminal illness struck him. But in spite of this setback, Billy found strength in God and has in turn, inspired countless others with his unceasing courage to live life to the fullest. Over the years, his outgoing personality and optimistic attitude in life has drawn a huge following within the country. His rise to fame in the new millennium propelled his media career to greater heights, winning him a total of 17 awards.

In December 2009, City Harvest Church had the privilege of hosting this famous media personality at the Chinese Church service. By 10 a.m. that Sunday morning, the main auditorium at the Jurong West church premises was packed with people, many of whom were eager to catch a glimpse of Billy in the meeting.

The service began as usual and the moment came for Billy’s appearance. A short introduction video was shown which changed the entire atmosphere in the auditorium. In one segment of the clip was a story which touched a lot of hearts—that of a total stranger, a Christian lady, who had heard about Billy’s illness and actually sold her jewelry to help pay for his medical fees.

As she sowed into his life through her selfless act, Billy wanted to sow back into her life and years later, had the opportunity to do so. But when he handed her an envelope, she was too surprised and refused because she had given to him without expecting anything in return. At this point, many among the crowd cried, touched by the story of selflessness and the mutual love and respect they both shared for each other.

In between songs, Billy also shared his personal testimony and the struggles he faced growing up in a family that was full of violence. He became an angry person, filled with hate and unresolved hurts. “Whether we are good or bad, we are ultimately our parents’ children. That is the same kind of love God has for us, that no matter who we are or what we’ve done in our past, He loves us all the same.”

It was evident that many who heard him were touched by his story of love and courage.

Annie Ng, a housewife, 56 years old, shared, “I am encouraged by his determination to overcome his sickness and live life to the fullest. I’m especially moved by his courage to share his past mistakes in public in order to help others.”

Monica Xu, operator, 25 years old, said, “I saw a different life through Billy’s example. It has proven that love still exits in this world. Love surpasses your past, good or bad.”

PHOTOS: Wen Zhi Guang

Those who came for the service that day not only had a chance to listen to Billy sing, but also had an opportunity get up close and personal with him during his autograph session after the service. Throughout his three-hour stay in CHC, Billy’s smile was always present. It was truly an unforgettable day for many people.

For those who want to know more about Billy’s schedule, there will be a special event-cum-concert at the Singapore Expo on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010. Fringe activities include a three-hour seminar and sales of second hand goods.

For more details, please visit www.billyhouse.com.

Contributed by Audrey Cheong

A team of 15 missionaries from City Harvest Children’s Church set off to Malaysia on Dec. 9, 2009 for a Children Worker’s Conference under the invitation of Raymond Pu, the children’s ministry pastor of Glad Tidings Assembly of God, Petaling Jaya. The team included a pastor, two church staff, nine adult volunteers and three children. The team pulsated with a common purpose; to empower and inspire the children’s workers who were there.

Organized by the National Children’s Ministry Department, Assembly of God & Junior Church and Glad Tidings Assembly of God, Petaling Jaya, the team ministered in a total of five packed sessions, including a full-fledged Children’s Church service on the last day.

This was the very city where Eileen Toh, CHC’s Children’s Church pastor, received a revelation from God about how to run her ministry to children. Back then in 1994, Toh was one of the conference participants and was hungry for a move of God. In one session conducted by Bill Wilson, she was impacted by his message on being a catalyst for change in society. She returned to Singapore with a renewed vision and started to implement fresh new ideas she had received during the conference.

Toh recalls, “He (Bill Wilson) inspired me to want to make a difference no matter what it takes and having heard his life testimony, I told myself that God can use me mightily in this area. God began speaking to me about the Children’s ministry in CHC and I wanted to see a larger children’s work in Singapore. At that time, CHC was also on the brink of launching the Church Without Walls campaign. So I felt ready to run with this vision that God had given to the leadership in CHC.”

Fifteen years later, Toh is back in the same place where the fire of God first burned in her heart for the children’s ministry. But this time, it was her turn to inspire others as she was one of the main speakers for the conference. Sharing on topics such as, the Keys to Growth in Children’s Ministry, Dynamics of Praise and Worship, Staying in the Cutting Edge of Your Children’s Ministry and Creative Leadership, the sessions were well-received as participants listened to the Word of God attentively.

After their last session, the team visited an Indian orphanage which was located in the outskirts of Petaling Jaya and ministered to the children who were there. For 45 minutes, the home was filled with melodies of ‘Love Story’ by Taylor Swift, ‘We’re All in this Together’ from the movie High School Musical, ‘Jesus Loves Me’ and ‘Joy to the World.’ One of the team members, Connie Yong, shared with the children a story about how important it is to have a dream and to never let others look down on them. The three children who were on this mission trip also had a surprise for the children in the orphanage. Using their own pocket money, they bought gifts and chocolates for the children in the orphanage and were extremely delighted to find that their little gesture brought so much joy to them.

PHOTOS: Gabriel Seow

Since many of the children in the orphanage were either picked up from the streets or were sent to the orphanage by legal force, many of them do not possess birth certificates or know when their exact birth dates are. Therefore, all of them celebrate their birthdays together on Dec. 31 every year.

What made the trip special for one of the volunteers was knowing that one person can make a difference to another. Adrian Cheung, who was part of the team of 15, happened to notice a very shy little girl who seemed very reserved during the photo-taking session. He decided to approached her and realized that she was a little different than the rest because she had one extra finger on one of her hands. Cheung said, “I told her it is true that people are different and others may not understand it and may even laugh about it. But while men looks on the outside, God looks at the heart. At that point, I just felt that God wanted me to tell her that she is special and as long as she loves Him and follows Him, God will use her in ways she never knew.”

The pastor of the orphanage then related to the team that just a few days earlier, other children were making fun of this girl. She returned to the orphanage in tears and demanded an answer from her pastor who could not give her a good explanation and prayed for God to send her an answer. The pastor looked at Cheung and said, “Looks like you are the answer sent by God!”

Is the happiness of a person measured by the things he does or the things he buys? For the group of us on this trip, we discovered that happiness is being able to look at our lives through Heaven’s eyes. We can make a difference in the lives of others, one at a time.

The dark and gritty version of Sherlock Holmes was entertaining and filled with action. But the most enjoyable part of the film wasn’t the plot, it was more the brotherhood and bantering between Holmes and Watson.

Chemistry between Sherlock Holmes (played by Robert Downey Jr.) and Dr. John Watson (played by Jude Law) is perfect and their bro-mance hilarious. Both characters did writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle proud by bringing Britain’s stuffy detectives to life. Watson is constantly trying to have a peaceful life, wanting to marry and have a family or to at least have tea with his fiancee’s parents, but he is never able to due to the never-ending “fun,” thanks to Holmes and his action-packed life of mayhem and mysteries. Constantly at loggerheads with each other, they can’t stand each other but can’t bear to be without each other either.

Brilliant, cunning and slightly mad, Sherlock Holmes has just apprehended Lord Blackwood (played by Mark Strong), who was caught in the act of sacrificing a young girl, his fifth victim, for a black magic ritual. The film moves forward three months to Holmes hiding out in his pitch-black room—since Blackwood was being hanged, there have been no more cases for him.

He then discovers his favorite villainess—American Irene Adler (played by Rachel McAdams), who seems to be the female counterpart of Holmes—is back and requires his help for a case. Mysteriously enough, it is connected to Lord Blackwood’s case. Not only is his lady love back, Lord Blackwood is also back, that is, from the dead.

With explosions, fights with a French giant, a medieval version of a Tazer Gun and good old-fashioned brawling, Holmes and Watson move to find Blackwood’s next few victims and the resurrected Blackwood himself.

But the spotlight shone on the actors and characters of the movie. Downey was a perfect Holmes, with precise comedic timing and an intense gaze that you would expect of a brilliant detective, yet seemingly without a care. Holmes portrayed in the movie was eons away from the original Holmes, and a lot more interesting.

Dr. Watson was quite a character as well. Not just a doctor, Watson was a soldier who was hurt in the Afghan war. As noted by Holmes in a particular scene in the film, Watson is always neat, as most military men are. He grounds Holmes—whenever Holmes gets one of his crazy ideas, Watson pulls him back to reality. Watson is also the one who calms the people who are frightened by Holmes mad antics, like firing a gun in the house.

Enjoyable mostly because of the witty banter and clever one-liners, the movie is worth watching. And for all we know, the sequel that was hinted at toward the end of the film might be even better. In fact, even if the plot is not extraordinary, watching Holmes and Watson beat each other up verbally is one of the many small joys in this movie.

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Too many cooks spoil the broth? More like many hands make light work.

Featuring 40 recipes contributed by 10 of Singapore’s top chefs, Recipes from the Heart warms not just the tummy but the soul as well. Launched during an appreciation evening cocktail as part of the ‘Chefs for a Cause’ fundraising project on Dec. 28, 2009 at Swissotel Merchant Court Singapore, all proceeds from its sale went toward bettering the lives of underprivileged children.

With the tagline “empowering lives through culinary arts”, Chefs for a Cause targeted to raise S$700,000 for the beneficiaries of MILK (Mainly I Love Kids) and Project Happy Feet (a not-for-profit organization that educates and trains children in developing countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam). The event organized by Project Happy Feet involved culinary luminaires such as Jimmy Chok, Executive Chef from the Academy Bistro, Pang Kok Keong, Executive Pastry Chef of Les Amis Group, Daniel Sia, Head Chef at The White Rabbit, as well as notable food writer, Chef Christopher Tan. It is the brainchild of Chok, who says, “No one should go hungry. This is why we put together Chefs for a Cause; if we don’t fight for our causes, no one will fight for us.”

PHOTOS: Xavier Tan

Recipes from the Heart also features visual shots by established photographer Edmund Ho of Jambu Studios and inspirational quotes penned by the chefs as they share their secrets to success. Recipes will run the gamut from appetizers to desserts, such as Daniel Sia’s tart tartin with a twist, Christopher Tan’s chicken rice-inspired sushi platter, Chef Petrine Fan’s crepe with apples as well as her slow-cooked salmon with Japanese broth. It retails at S$68 through www.projecthappyfeet.org. and will be available from February 2010.

Earlier during the day, the same 10 chefs whipped up a 3-course meal at Swissotel Merchant Court for about 600 children. “One lunch isn’t going to solve all the problems in the world, but for these children, many of whom have never had a meal in a hotel, it was a memorable highlight during their school holidays,” says Gerard Ee from Beyond Services, one of the beneficiaries of MILK. Adds Deborah Chew, co-founder of Project Happy Feet, “The look on their faces as they stepped into the ballroom made it all worth the months of planning.”

A party was rocking the night at Tampines Changkat Community Center on Dec. 18, 2009, but the loudness was not measured in decibels. The LOUD (Living Out ‘Ur Dream) party organized by POD (People of Destiny) was not about creating a ruckus, but about giving voice to inspiration and giving wings to dreams. The party for youth was back in its third reiteration since 2007. Unlike other youth events, the LOUD party provides an open platform for youth to perform and express themselves. 75% of the performances this year was performed by the youth themselves, the average age being only 17 years old. This is in stark contrast to the previous years where externally engaged semi-professional performers took the stage.

The party for the youth by the youth kicked off with an item by “The Part-Timers”, a band led by 15-year-old Amanda, whose recent original composition reached the finals of a songwriting competition held in conjunction with the Singapore Youth Olympics 2010. This was quickly followed by a rendition of Simple Plan’s “Perfect” by “rJR”, a band of average 16 years old with 2 members still studying in Secondary School. A highlight of the party was when Javen, 24, sang and then shared a moving testimony of how he started as a Normal Technical student diagnosed with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) but ended up as a degree holder from Newcastle Univerisity. To date, he is a successful guitar teacher on the brink of starting a school the following year. His message to the youth was simple—his achievements were only possible because he dared to pursue his dream.

PHOTOS: Lee Kiat Seng

Following a hearty dinner, the crowd was treated to slick dance moves from JEWX, a youth dance crew as well as a short film by 19-year-old Daryl Nah. The film chronicled his life story about how he found purpose in living out his dream. Today, Nah is an aspiring film maker.

Upon the arrival of guest of honor, Ms Irene Ng (MP for Tampines GRC), volunteers proceeded to give out to each youth a “Wishing Sphere” to write their wishes down for 2010 and hang it on a specially prepared Christmas Tree alongside POD staff and volunteers.

The penultimate showcase of talent was by 3 youths from the “Cherish” program who showcased their makeup skills with a parade of models. Ms Irene Ng eventually awarded 77th Street store vouchers to the youth with the best makeup skills of the night.

The LOUD party 2009 was definitely a success as the youth left, not with noise ringing in their ears but dreams pulsating strong within their hearts.

Once in a long while a movie comes along that reminds us film critics that we have positively the best job in the world. For the year 2009 and perhaps beyond, that movie is Avatar. This fantasy/sci-fi live action-cum-CGI flick is immersive on so many levels that it’s more than a movie—it’s an experience that draws you into a dream so unimaginable and enthralling, you don’t want to wake up.

Honestly, I’ve never really bought into the whole Titanic craze but here, writer and director James Cameron’s talent for story-telling is visionary and irrefutably staggering. The first few minutes land us on 22nd-Century Earth, where humans are masterminding a “diplomatic” take-over of a distant moon-planet called Pandora in order to get hold of the precious resource unobtainium, because their own destructive machinations have rendered Mother Nature’s elements dry. For this mission, the humans have created hybrid beings called avatars in order to interface with Pandora’s hostile atmosphere and gain the trust of its people, the Na’vi (an elven-like race with blue skin, superior physicality and zero body fat). In the vein of The Matrix, the avatar is remotely controlled through the consciousness of the human from whose DNA it is formed.

Spearheading this diplomacy mission is Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a crippled ex-U.S Marine who inadvertently gains entry into the Na’vi’s inner circle when his avatar is saved by Neytiri (Zoë Saldaña), the Pocahontas of the Na’vi people. As she guides the newcomer through a Na’vi induction program that involves taming the iridescent creatures of land and air and taking the most graceful of plunging falls, they slowly form a bond that would very soon change the destinies of both worlds and test Jake’s loyalty to his own kind.

Replete with luminescent life form, floating mountains and wandering jellyfish-like spirits, the landscape of Pandora is undoubtedly Avatar’s crowning jewel. When Jake first touches down on Pandora, you can almost feel the dampness in the air and smell the earthiness of the forest, the details of which are fleshed out to degrees never seen before using state-of-the-art technology and 3D filmmaking. There is a startlingly organic feel to everything, down to the very nuances of expressions on the Na’vis’ feline faces.

While the stunning imagery is a leap beyond imagination, the story itself—infused with environmental, spiritual and humanitarian references—is one rooted in our very civilization, one that has been bloodied by war, genocide, the use and abuse of nature. Cameron has us so invested in the beauty of Pandora and its people that when things start to get ugly, it guts you to the core. Not since Frodo attempted Mount Doom in The Lord of the Rings have we experienced cinematic hopelessness and desperation of such scale and scope—Avatar’s most resounding message is that the savagery of those who label others as “savages” knows no bounds.

Truly, the art of film-making and story-telling has reached new heights with this production.

Rating:

The adage “actions speak louder than words” is personified in Talking Hands not just because it is a mere belief but because it is their way of life.

Talking Hands is an extended arm of City Harvest Social Services Association, providing support and other outreach services to the hearing impaired community. Talking Hands currently serves up to 120 clients from all around Singapore.

On December 13, 2009, in conjunction with the festive season, Talking Hands threw a Christmas party for close to 100 guests including clients, volunteers and staff of Talking Hands at Roland Seafood Restaurant, a popular dining locale nestled in the heart of Marine Parade. The theme of the party was “Celebrating Christmas in Style” to which, attendees came dressed up for the occasion.

Talking Hands organizes seven to eight events in a year for its clients and volunteers. Sign language courses and training are held regularly for volunteers to aid communication with the hearing impaired.

The event kicked off with icebreakers — games to help “break the ice” among the attendees and facilitate communication. In the first game, everyone had move around with a sheet of paper containing names of people present at the party. The goal was to seek those people out and list out two to three fun-facts about them. The second game was a test of memory where attendees had to work together as a team to remember and list out as many items as possible from a picture that was flashed to them.

The games, although seemingly elementary, was evidence to show that barriers in communication are not impossible to overcome when all parties are willing to interact and work together.

PHOTOS: Lee Boon Bee

The program for the night continued with a Best Dressed competition. Here, many of the hearing impaired defied the stereotype of being dull and outmoded as they showed up in their sharp and snazzy outfits. The night would not be complete without Christmas carols, albeit a little different from the norm. Volunteers displayed nothing short of sheer dedication as they signed to the lyrics of popular Christmas tunes such as ‘Last Christmas.’ Some of these volunteers had only taken up sign language a couple of months ago, but have been practicing daily in the weeks leading up to the Christmas party.

The night ended with prizes given out to the winners of the ice-breaker games, the best dressed and the lucky draw. Prizes included house

Many prizes were distributed in the course of the event. The 3 winners of the ice breaker games were rewarded with prizes, and at the end of the event, many prizes were also given out during a lucky draw, some of which included a rice cooker and a juice blender.

The hearing impaired community present for the event proved that real handicap is always in the mind. No matter what obstacles one may face, if there is a will, there will surely be a way.