This term as part of our focus on loving our neighbour (Matt 22:39) Emmanuel Christian School’s Student Leaders have been visiting two aged care facilities in our Eastern Shore community – Fairway Rise in Lindisfarne and Regis Aged Care in Warrane.
The students have begun to build connections with the residents in various ways: chatting with them over afternoon tea, sharing their musical talents and engaging in leisure and lifestyle activities with them, such as building Lego trains, making Christmas crafts and colouring in.
On our first visit to Fairway Rise, many residents gathered for afternoon tea and some of the students served them, while others mingled with them in the facility’s café. When the keyboard we had brought failed to produce any sounds, thankfully the president of the Residents’ Association offered his own keyboard and Erin and Molly played and sang for us.
As we were about to leave the president shared with us all that he had been waiting a long time for the right people to play his keyboard. He told us that he had bought it five years ago for his wife, but tragically soon after she developed severe dementia and could not remember how to play. He shared how touched he was to hear it being played again and he told us that he loved singing and offered to form a singing group with our students.
Last week at Regis Aged Care a group of students chose to visit residents in their rooms who are restricted in their mobility, while some others helped one resident decorate the Christmas tree that is the focal point of the first floor of the facility.
In the lead up to this Christmas season our Student Leaders have been experiencing what a difference they can make in the lives of the elderly in our community. Just by taking an interest in them they are bringing the love of God to some of our community’s most vulnerable people.
This Christmas let us all be inspired afresh to reach out to our neighbours with the message of the Christ Child, whose coming on that first Christmas Eve shone the light of the love of God into the darkness in the world.
Jenny Berry - Chaplain