Christmas in the barn: How a small community built a living Nativity

If you drive to Lewisporte and take the turn to Brown's Arm, you'll find Moyles' Farm.

And if you happened to be there on a certain Saturday evening in December, and checked out the barn, you'd find shepherds, musicians, wise men and a holy family.

Each year, for the last three, the Salvation Army church in nearby Horwood has hosted a living nativity, complete with live animals.

"I thought about it way back, but finding a place that had the space," said Maj. Lorne Hiscock, who came up with the idea. 

"Then finally, one day I was talking with Kim and found out she had a barn that we were able to have space. So this year, she cleared out different stalls for us and we were able to do it a little better than we were in other years. So, it's been wonderful."

"Kim" is Kim Moyles, whose family owns the farm.

"Lorne actually approached me a few years ago and asked me if he could do it," she said. "This was a vision of his. And I was all for it. I thought yeah, why not!

"And it does bring the community together.  We get them not just from our community of Lewisporte. They're coming from Horwood, Brown's Arm, Stoneville, wherever. They come from all over, which is kind of nice."

'It makes it feel like Christmas'

Parishoners take turns reading the Christmas story and singing carols while Mary rides in on a live donkey, led by Joseph.

"It makes it feel like Christmas. Like the actual Christmas story," said Wendy Hart, who is this year's Mary.

It makes it feel like Christmas. Like the actual Christmas story- Wendy Hart

Although, she admits, she had a moment of worry about falling off her mount.

She arrives safely at the stable, and the shepherds, angel and wise men make their entrance.

All throughout the service, children dash from stall to stall, offering hay to the placid horses.

"They don't only enjoy the animals, but they enjoy the presentation as well. It's wonderful that the children can enjoy the animals and be able to feed them," Hiscock said.

Moyles thinks the kids' participation and a smaller-than-usual crowd due to a change in the date really helped make this year's nativity fun.

"It felt more special to me tonight because the children were more involved this year," she said. "Generally, when it's so packed, we don't get to see everybody that's here."

"This way here, he was able to incorporate them into his little service. So that was nice."

Getting into the Christmas spirit

Hiscock wraps up with a reverent rendition of Silent Night, which he accompanies on his piano accordion.

"The church is the outside. We can't be just contained to the four walls. We go to wherever there are people to talk to about Jesus. That's what it's all about," he said.

Then the costumes come off and the characters are ordinary folks in snow boots and parkas again.

Then they climb into their cars and trucks for the drive home with a little bit of Bethlehem in their hearts.

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