There's still time to join in 'Journey to Bethlehem'

Grace Community Church's "Journey to Bethlehem" kicked off last week, with performance this weekend.

The interactive walking tour re-enacts the trip Mary and Joseph took the night of Christ's birth.

The 45-minute tour includes wise men, soldiers and shepherds. There's a visit to the tax collector, the Bethlehem Marketplace and to see tambourine dancers.

"My favorite part of the journey is hanging out with the people coming through and sending the message of hope," says Mary Curry. Mary has been a part of Journey to Bethlehem for six years and is leading the Tambourine Dancers this year. "I would tell someone who has never come to "Journey to Bethlehem' to come over and check it out, because it is an amazing inspirational experience even a nonbeliever would like."

Many of the actors are in their teens or are even younger. It's a great event for the whole family, but remember, it is a mile-long walk out in the cold.

Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Gates open at 5 p.m. and close at 9 p.m.

"Journey to Bethlehem" is at Grace Community Church, 3754 E. Service Road, Ceres.

Rose Sellman is a freshman at Connecting Waters Charter School and a member of the Teens in the Newsroom Program.