We began our Sabbath day with some trepidation. Along with it being Christmas eve, a time when our attendance usually drops, we also were holding our branch Christmas celebration complete with a nativity performance by the primary. Planning and coordinating everything, including the purchasing and preparation of food for an untold number of attendees, was challenging. But, we gave it our best, and with a lot of help from branch members, everything turned out well.

We ended up setting a new record for attendance (73) and Sister Thembi, an investigator scheduled for baptism on January 7, gave a short, but powerful talk centered on Christ’s visit with the Nephites. She closed her talk with a testimony about the power of the Book of Mormon to change lives, and she certainly is a powerful example of that. Line upon line, our branch is moving forward, and that, indeed, is a wonderful gift to appreciate this Christmas season.

Sister Collins’ primary group did an outstanding job performing the nativity. It was another highlight of our day. Both Sister Collins and I have become so involved in the branch it’s going to be difficult to extract ourselves to go home. We love what we’re doing. Is it challenging? Absolutely! Are we frustrated at times? Certainly! Is our work rewarding? Unbelievably so!