The Journey To Bethlehem was a trip made many years ago right before the birth of Jesus Christ, according the the Christian faith. Today, you can make the same journey right here in Wenatchee.

All of the Seventh-Day Adventist Churches got together for their fourth Journey to Bethlehem reenactment at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Wenatchee, which took place Dec. 5-8. The half-hour walk through the shops of Bethlehem behind the church took months to set up and plan.

The set itself has been in the works for about eight weeks, but planning for the event began last March, according to Head Director Glenn Fisher. Bethlehem is set up entirely through volunteers and funding is by donation from the churches involved and the community. The result is a free trip, which allows all sorts of people to get involved. Actors have been working on their parts for up to four months, and there are about 150 in costume each night. There are also up to 50 additional people helping to keep everything running smoothly, as over the course of four days about 3,800 people are expected to walk through.

“It gives people an uplift,” Fisher said. “The point is to direct people towards the birth [of Jesus], instead of commercialism.”

There are three couples that switch off playing the roles of Mary and Joseph, and due to cold, there is no live baby Jesus. There are, however, many animals. Six goats, four sheep, two donkeys, a horse, four chickens, and a rented camel named Lily add a real feeling of being in the past during the walkthrough, according to Fisher. Actors playing the roles of shopkeepers also interact with the visitors. The actors are mainly from Cascade Christian Academy, although there are a handful from Wenatchee High School, including sophomore Sophie Steinberg, sophomore Dane Gillin, sophomore Austin Barger, sophomore Cameron Mandelis, sophomore Blake Ansley, and senior Nathan Elliott.

“It’s fun to get involved with the community,” Steinberg said. “It’s just a cool experience.”

Fisher thinks that it is a community experience, as the actors range from 12 to 85 years of age and come from all sorts of backgrounds. He also said that the churches plan to continue running the event in the future. “[The best part] is the community, getting people together for free so families can come,” Fisher said. “From the music in the church to the animals, it’s very spirited.”