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PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – My Fellow Sint Maarteners,

I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and best wishes for the season. This is a period of giving, sharing, and taking care of those less fortunate.

The weeks leading up to the eve of Christmas has seen various organizations and companies within our community giving back; sharing, and leaving behind goods and other items that they can use, the true values of good will to all men.

I praise those who would be working through the holiday season to serve and protect others, our Police, Fire Services and the Emergency Medical Services.

I praise those working around the clock at the St. Maarten Medical Center, as well those working in the hospitality sector, and at our power utility company NV GEBE. These people and others all play an important role in serving our community and our guests, and have to work through the holidays while others are at home spending it with their families.

We welcome and wish all our guests who are here with us during this festive season an enjoyable vacation on our lovely island.

Hundreds of our fellow citizens will go to mass to worship and praise, and give thanks as we celebrate another Christmas as a nation. We must keep all those who have experienced and gone through challenges throughout 2014, and asked the Almighty to give them guidance and strength to move forward.

My family and I would like to take this opportunity to say that our thoughts and prayers are also with those who are grieving this Christmas. May the Almighty give them strength to carry on.

On Thursday, December 25th, my family, and Sint Maarten families will wake up and gather at the Christmas tree to give gifts and express family togetherness.

We are all reminded that the true joy of Christmas comes with giving. The giving of love and family togetherness makes for strong Sint Maarten families. Christmas is a time to reflect and to count our blessings as families and as a nation.

From my family to yours, have a Merry Christmas.

May God Bless our country Sint Maarten and its people.

Theodore Heyliger

Leader of the United People's (UP) Party

Member of the Parliament of Sint Maarten