Teenagers Apologize Over Baby Jesus Doll

WAITSBURG -- Three teenagers who attended Preston Middle School in Waitsburg are suspected of vandalizing and removing a Baby Jesus doll from the front of the First Presbyterian Church in December, according to law enforcement and school district officials.

Two of the three have admitted to the acts against the Christian symbol that upset many in the community and both have written letters to the Rev. Bret Moser expressing their remorse.

"I wasn't thinking," Moser quoted one of the letters to him as saying.

The two who wrote the letters are still attending Preston Hall, while a third suspected of the offense has moved out of the district.

Twice, the Baby Jesus had gone missing from its manger in December. First, the Baby Jesus was taken from the nativity scene and thrown under a stone bench outside the church where the clergyman found it. Next, the figure was stolen and the manger was left damaged. The figure was later recovered.

Earlier that month, police and citizens' reports indicate a group of troublemakers stole outdoor Christmas lights and decorations. The shenanigans were reported on Second, Fourth, Fifth, Seventh and Main streets, and both sides of Coppei.

"It was disappointing that it was our students who were involved," Waitsburg School District Superintendent Dr. Carol Clarke said.

Clarke said another stu- dent shared the identity of the perpetrators with district staff, whom reported it to the Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office several weeks ago.

The incidents, which occurred in December, were completed outside of school time and property, thus putting the offenders out of the district's jurisdiction, she said .

Walla Walla County Sheriff's deputies contacted the three students, two of whom admitted to the offenses, and avoided formal charges of theft and malicious mischief through a conditional pretrial diversion agreement, according to Undersheriff Eddie Freyer.

The court-ordered agreement dated Jan. 20, directed the students to perform community service for 10 hours and write a letter of apology to the Presbyterian Church.

"From our perspective, this is a done deal," said Freyer.

He explained that diversion agreements are a good way of keeping youths from obtaining a criminal record while holding them accountable when they do something "stupid."

"Hopefully, they learned something from it," he said.

Moser said he received the letters through the Walla Walla County Juvenile Court about a week ago and welcomed them as a sign of reconciliation and growth for their authors.

"I'm glad they had an opportunity to be held accountable," he said. "I hope they learned that nothing we do is done in isolation. Everything we do affects other people."

The clergyman said neither he nor his congregation harbors any ill will against the teenagers, whom he hopes "realize that caring about what other people believe and respecting the symbols of their faith is important."

Moser said he shared word of the letters with church elders, who were glad the kids sent them and prayed they were sincere.

"We're not after retribution," Moser said. "We just hope the kids will grow from this and be better citizens in our nation."

As a result of the incident, the pastor said he wants to place a greater emphasis on the church's Nativity scene later this year, making a more elaborate display "the community can enjoy."

It would be an opportunity "to share the faith" at a time when those of the Christian faith face adversity elsewhere, Moser said.

"In a world that's increasingly hostile to Christianity, we don't respond by withdrawing, but by being more open," he said. "I'd like us to get more involved (in a bigger Nativity scene)."