Saturday morning arrived with the kind of cold that made every breath visible. The seventh mission was written on the class notice board from the day before: “Mission #07 – Help decorate for Christmas — at school, church, or home.” For once, there was no homework, no instructions — just a quiet invitation to give time and effort.
By ten o’clock, the school gym was filled with boxes of garlands, tinsel, and tangled lights that no one dared untie. Ms. Larsen, bundled in a thick scarf, smiled as she saw who showed up. Nearly half the class had volunteered — some dragging siblings, others holding rolls of tape and twine.
Emma climbed a chair to hang paper stars while Jonas and Erik wrestled with a stubborn string of lights that refused to cooperate. “It’s like it wants to be knotted,” Jonas muttered, making Erik laugh so hard he dropped the plug. Meanwhile, Ida arranged a table of candles and small nativity figures, checking that everything looked respectful and warm.
After two hours, the gym had transformed — glowing lights, golden stars, a small Christmas tree decorated with handmade ornaments from the younger classes. Ms. Larsen stood back, eyes shining. “You’ve turned a plain room into something beautiful,” she said. “And not because of the lights — but because of the hands that worked together.”
As the students packed up, tired but smiling, Emma whispered to Jonas, “I think the lights were never the problem — we just needed to cooperate.” He grinned. “Guess that’s the real Christmas spirit.”