Sweet Is the Work in Texas: Let Your Soul Delight in Fatness

Delight in the "Fatness" of our Savior

The title of this post comes from 2 Nephi 9:51. It usually refers to "Feasting" on the words of Christ, but as I read those words today, it made me think about Christmas. If asked about the meaning of Christmas, most of us could give a great commentary on all the things Christmas represents. In the anxiety, excitement and celebration we usually know "about" Christmas, but do we know and feel the joy of this wonderful gift? Do we "know" Christ? I feel like I fit in the first category most of the time, but this Christmas I feel I have been given the opportunity to move into the second group -- or at least to stand on the sidelines of those who do know. This mission experience has been such a growing and nourishing time for me personally. Being on a mission is a little bit of a cocoon that isn't always realistic for most of us in regular life, but I hope I will permanently be a changed person. I decided to concentrate my studies this month on the end of Helaman through 3 Nephi in the Book of Mormon along with the four gospels in the New Testament. It has been edifying and strengthening to me.

We have just finished the semester at the Institute. Finals were last week and now most of the students have left for home. We had some great final activities. Things will be pretty quiet at the Institute until the middle of January, so we will be concentrating on our preparations for next semester. There is a lot of enthusiasm for our Provident Living/Cooking class, so I am looking forward to that.

Bringing Christmas to the Institute

Greeting Sammy, the Bearkat

Sisters Vann & LeBaron filling rice bags

Rice and Corn Bags

We had a lot of fun making rice bags for each of the students. It made it a little more meaningful to have them out of the school colors. We made about thirty of them and used deer corn to fill most of them, so I hope they don't attract too many deer from the forest. Sister Vann is always a good sport to help me out with my many hare(or deer) brain ideas.

Neil, the Wise Man w/ Caesar in the Background

In addition to winding up the semester, we also had the opportunity to participate in an interfaith production of Journey thru Bethlehem that was held at the county fair grounds. It involves several hundred people and was attended by almost 1,000 visitors. Attendance was down because of rain and icy winds but it was an awesome(pardon that word, but it is very descriptive of all the amazing things it included) They had census taking, Caesar Augustus, shepherds, wise men, King Herod's court, a Mormon Bishop aka rabbit, a synogogue, fabric dyers, wool carders and hand spinners, bread shoppes, toy shoppes, spice stall, nativity and more. Everyone was in a period costume. Neil and I were census takers. Originally Neil was going to be a wise man, but apparently you can have too many wise men or in Neil's case, wise guys. (Neil's take on JTB) I spent one afternoon helping them moved painted wall panels, props, furniture, costumes, rugs, fake plants, a huge potter’s wheel, etc. (five big flatbed trucks full + a box van full of stuff) I was a wiseman at first but there were ten wisemen so I was the odd man out, so to speak. The Huntsville bishop, Scott Bumbaugh (the Jewish Rabbi) said: “I hate to say this Elder LeBaron but you look like you just stepped out of the shower.” I did feel like an “odd man” so quickly changed out of my velvet dress into the garb of a tax collector. It was a cold evening but about 400 people braved the weather (33 degrees) that night. I was at the table with a young ward member who said to an incoming group: “Welcome to Bethlehem, come in and add your name to the senseless form” (Census Form). I thought it may be a Freudian, political commentary. (I’d like to challenge that.) The Bishop played the part of the Jewish Rabbi so convincingly that most of Huntsville thinks that he is Jewish. Robert Williams who heads the Journey Through Bethlehem committee, coordinated all of the set up, (I spent several hours helping to load sets) costuming, staging, food, takedown, etc. He is a doctor who works for the prison system. His wife, Karen, is also a doctor and is the daughter of James Olson, the Heritage Branch president. Robert asked one little boy what he like the best about Journey Through Bethlehem. The boy said: “When I found Jesus.”