By Fr. Paul Trung

Don Bosco Training Centre Vientiane - Laos, 30 December 2020 --There are many ways we celebrate Christmas - the Birth of Jesus Christ, Son of God in the dire poverty of the Bethlehem outskirts. We prepare for the whole Advent season with prayer, reflection, novena, decorations, Christmas crib and singing carols. All of this simply to acknowledge that God comes in a humble way, like one of us, un-recognised by most of humanity even now after 2000 years.

One of the best expression of Christmas celebration is to reach out to people in need and recognize in their poverty the same poverty of Jesus in Bethlehem. Our small Salesian community in Vientiane, Laos already traditionally around the Christmas day reaches out to some people in need. This Christmas 2020 the SDBs reached out to the people in need who are living on the trash site on the outskirts of the capital, Vientiane. Like in any other large Asian city, this 'mountain' of garbage is a livelihood for many families of poor people who are coming to the capital city.

Already a traditional Christmas outreach, also on the morning of 24 Decembe 2020 Fr. Paul Trung with the student representatives of Don Bosco Vocation Training Centre in Vientiane brought some useful item to this 'garbage community' to share Christmas joy with this marginalized people.

Merry Christmas from Laos!

Related news:

• AustraLasia 5490 : Teacher's Day in DB Vientiane-Laos 2020
• AustraLasia 5405 Laos Salesian Work started by Past Pupils (2004-2020)
• AustraLasia 5283 (II) The Season for Giving and Sharing - Laos Christmas

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