Current hosted their annual "Journey to Bethlehem" last weekend, and my family was excited to go…read more Being a homeschooling parent, we really wanted to go beyond the Christmas lights and help our oldest son really experience the wonder of the first Christmas. As we were looking around, Current's Journey to Bethlehem's website popped up. Their website was modern, minimalistic, sleek, and informative. We were definitely swayed just by browsing around, and the FAQ's were complete. They had a general admission ticket that was good for any of the times, or a special express pass that would minimize the wait by up to half-hour. However, the express pass did not guarantee no wait, so we ended up getting the general admission ticket and planned to get there at least a half an hour early to catch the first guided tour.
Turns out that was a good plan. We got there at 4:30PM and we were able to be part of the first group - the "Abraham" family and started a few minutes after 5PM. You can really tell that they've been doing this for 14 years in the Katy community. From the parking, the acting, to the presentation of the Gospel, everything here was top notch. I especially enjoyed visiting the village of Nazareth, and being ushered in to the biblical era. We met a blacksmith who was hammering "metal," children who were putting together beaded necklaces to earn their living, and woman who taught us to write "Shalom" in Hebrew. It was quite impressive that the adults and the kids alike never really broke from acting. Everything seemed absolutely real. The realism continued as we went outside, and we approached a Roman soldiers encampment who demanded our group to "hold out our papers." It was so real that my 5 year-old son held up his papers the entire time! (Just a note: some other kids my sons' age 's slightly younger got a bit scared, others were perfectly fine. Just be prepared to talk and explain to your child). The glorious appearance of the angels were well done and choreographed. I appreciate that the guides worked hard to tell a story - to express their hope for Israel's redemption, their joy as they saw angels announcing the Messiah, the disdain of the Roman officials for the Jews who anticipated the Messiah being born in Bethlehem. The last stop is Calvary, in which they explain the significance of Christ's birth and its place in the bigger Gospel story. They also give an invitation to attend the Christmas Eve/Day services, for those who want to learn more about Jesus.
At the end, they give you a free cookie (snack). The presentation is highly realistic and well done. The church members did a great job in communicating the realism of the Roman oppression, the messianic hopes of Israel, and what it would have been like to witness the angels announcing Messiah's birth. Highly recommended! Just make sure you take a beanie -it's cold!