At Christmas time, a lot of churches put on a Christmas Nativity to honor the birth of Jesus. But this church is creating a very special Nativity thanks to local children with Down Syndrome and a message for the broken.

When this priest and his wife discovered their daughter, Leeva, had Down Syndrome they were filled with a mix of emotions. They wondered why God had brought them a little girl with so many challenges and for a long time this mom prayed looking for an answer.

After some time, it was then that she realized God was taking pause to show her that nothing was wrong with Leeva but rather that she was looking at Leeva all wrong. Seeing all of these children and young men and women with Down Syndrome come together to tell their very special version of the Nativity is truly moving. How they tell the story of the birth of Jesus as a reminder that Jesus came down to be with us is powerful.

God was with Mary through the struggle of telling Joseph God’s plan, just as God was with Leeva’s mother as she grieved what she had planned for her baby girl. What a beautiful message from God’s most joyful children!