Texas Nativity scene
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Every year in the month of December in Amarillo, Texas, thousands of visitors come to see the Christmas light displays in the nearby village of Bishop Hills. For decades, the citizens of Bishop Hills have been dressing up their homes, trees, yards, hills, etc. with their best Christmas light displays.
This year was no exception. However, an LDS family recently moved into the neighborhood and asked permission from the village council if The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints could put on a live Nativity scene at their home. The council agreed and preparations began. There had to be a stable built. "Actors" would have to be recruited. Animals would have to be rounded up. The weather would have to cooperate. And on, and on, and on.
As we, the Amarillo 4th ward, made our plans, we decided to have the missionaries come and hand out to each car that passed the pass-along card "Joy to the World" along with a small bag of Hershey kisses. So, we ordered 3,500 pass-along cards and began wrapping the 17,500 pieces of candy.
Needless to say, actors were recruited; animals were found; and it was nothing short of miraculous how the weather held back its frigid winds for three wonderful nights in Amarillo, Texas, where dozens of Latter-day Saints convened in the small village of Bishop Hills and held our live Nativity scene. Occupants of scores of cars stopped to say thank you for the wonderful and beautiful display. Many children were delighted to see and play with the live animals. Television and news crews stopped by and took photos and gave interviews. But, more important, lives were touched with the true spirit of Christmas.
We were able to give out more than 2,000 pass-along cards, but even if no one calls for the free DVD, we are happy to have given the Church some good publicity and even happier for the special memories those three days created for the Amarillo 4th Ward members.
— Submitted by Brad Roberts of the Amarillo 4th Ward bishopric
