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Nora and Huw Howells had a tradition of buying each other Nativity sets as gifts for their day-after-Christmas wedding anniversary. When Nora discovered that her friend, Judy Crenshaw, also collected Nativities, they spent many Christmases enjoying one another's collections and talking about a dream—to raise money for charity by sharing their Nativities with others.

Since Jesus himself was without a home on that first Christmas, what better cause than the homeless, they decided. Huw even came up with a name, "No Room at the Inn." But Huw died from colon cancer in July 1993 without ever seeing his dream come true. In his memory, Nora and Judy decided to bring "No Room at the Inn" to life.

Since December 1993, "No Room at the Inn" has raised over $40,000 for homeless programs in Ventura County, California. Over a thousand people each year pay to view more than 600 Nativities on display in a local church for one weekend in December. This year's display will be held December 8-10 at Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks.

The Nativities—which include 175 from Judy and 100 from Nora—come in all sizes, shapes, and materials—porcelain, plastic, cloth, clay, even crystal. They represent many cultures, including a set made from Welsh coal, a carved monkey pod manger scene from the Philippines, and wooden figures from Denmark.

"We love watching people as they walk in," says Judy. "We love listening to their stories; everyone has a story about a Nativity set that was important in their lives."

Adds Judy, "Strangers are talking to strangers, telling them about their own Christmas memories, parents are sharing the Christmas story with their children. The whole atmosphere is one of joy and reverence."

2000 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today's Christian magazine (formerly Christian Reader).
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