Being Salt and Light
Middle School Students Share God’s Love at Elim Village
At Maple Ridge Christian School, we often talk about forming students who live out their faith beyond the classroom. This Christmas season, our middle school students had a beautiful opportunity to do just that.
s part of their Flex program, students explored the biblical call to be “salt and light”—to preserve what is good, shine God’s love, and reflect His hope wherever they go. Guided by their teacher, Ms. Abby Francois, this theme became more than a lesson. It became a lived experience.
Throughout the fall, students learned how salt was once used to preserve and how light is meant to be shared, not hidden. From there, a simple but meaningful idea emerged: How can we be light during a season that can be especially lonely for others?
The answer led them to Elim Village, a Christian-based seniors’ community in Surrey. In art class, students began creating handmade Christmas cards—each one a small but intentional expression of care. What surprised Ms. Francois the most was not hesitation, but enthusiasm.
“They got really excited,” she shared. “I had students saying, ‘I can make more!’ or ‘I really like watercolor—I want to do extra.’ They genuinely wanted to give back and use their talents in a meaningful way.
Before the visit, students reflected on why the trip mattered. One student wrote,
“A lot of older people don’t have family visit them very often and that could get very lonely—especially during the holidays. I think visiting the seniors at Elim Village would brighten their day and help them feel seen.”
Another connected the experience directly to their faith:
We have been learning how to be the light, and by showing the residents our kindness, it would lighten up their day and show how Jesus works through our lives every day to people we don’t even know.
When the day finally arrived, nerves quickly gave way to connection.
“Our Flex trip today was truly wonderful,” Ms. Francois wrote afterward. “There were tears of joy from the seniors and many meaningful stories shared with the students.”
The students didn’t just deliver cards—they delivered presence. They listened to stories, shared conversations, and even met a 97-year-old World War II veteran from Ukraine. What they discovered challenged assumptions and built empathy.
One student reflected,
“I noticed those people needed a bigger interaction with us young students… they didn’t want to live in a bubble, they wanted to connect with the rest of the world.”
Another shared,
“I feel that some people just need someone to talk to.”
The impact was mutual. As one student beautifully articulated,
As soon as we arrived at Elim Village, the seniors were overjoyed to see us, especially when we had Christmas cards in our hands… I saw in their eyes that they needed some Christmas spirit with them.
This experience embodied what we hope our students learn at MRCS: that faith is not only something we speak, but something we live out with courage, kindness, and compassion.
Your support makes experiences like this possible. Because of you, students are learning to be brave, to serve others, and to shine God’s light in tangible ways. This Christmas, that light reached Elim Village—and it will continue to shine through the lives of these young people for years to come.
Thank you for being part of that story.