Christmas Crèche Brings $1200 At Relief Sale

This unique nativity scene was handcrafted from materials put together from inside a Virginia prison, popsicle sticks, glue, shoe polish, toilet paper (for paper mache figures), body powder, craft paints and floor polish.

Of the hundreds of items sold at auction Friday evening and Saturday, few generated as much interest as this manger scene. Here's the statement about it provided by its creator, who wishes to remain anonymous:

ABOUT THIS ITEM:

This Nativity Scene has been donated to the Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale as my tithe for the year 2022. I am a wayward son still trapped in a foreign realm. But like the Prodigal Son in Jesus Christ's parable, I have come to my senses, returned to our Father and have found encouragement and support amongst God's children, many of you here today who are a part of my Mennonite heritage. 

I have made this Nativity Scene with the talents and skills God has given me, as an expression of my gratitude to God and to those from this community who walk with me through my desert, a journey that will keep me away from this community nearly another decade. It is for God and my sojourners that I have made this Nativity Scene that marks and celebrates the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. 

Time is a commodity that I have in full measure, and I have spent more than 500 hours working on this creation. My only tool was a two-inch-long fingernail clippers used to cut nearly 2000 popsicle sticks, a nibble at a time, to create the Nativity Scene. I also used four wooden corn dog skewers, ten four-ounce bottles of Elmer's Glue, two containers of cornstarch-based shower powder (figurine plaster base), one metal paper clip (hinge pin), miscellaneous acrylic paints and a clear coat finish. Wood stain is made out of Kiwi shoe polish (brown) with flat black acrylic paint added. The substrate used for making the walls, bottoms and lid of the box that turns into a stable comes from retired books that the librarian breaks down for recycling, giving us crafters the hard cover book backings.

I made sanding blocks out of seven layers of popsicle sticks, coating them with sifted sand glued in place. I coated the surface of the sand with Elmer's Glue after it dried to the popsicle block as well. The sand came from the outdoor volleyball court, and I would estimate I used a total of an 18 oz. peanut butter full of sand on the stable floor and on the many sanding blocks refurbished during the project. I made and procured various tools, gigs, squares, rubber bands and miscellaneous materials that are tolerated at the institution where I currently reside.

I'm thankful for this outlet for my restless energy and for the expression of my gratitude for those who sojourn, commune and mentor me on my life journey. It is my prayer that this creation blesses the person who it captivates and prompts to bid the highest on it when it is auctioned. 

May it all be for God's glory!

In spite of the unpleasant weather caused by Hurricane Ian, the 2022 Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale generated over $324,000 according to the initial report on its web page. Contributions can still be made online.