Build it and They Will Come

This was last week when the Canady's and Sister Watts took us to pizza!

Hello hello! It's been another great and cold week here in Batesville!

Highlight of the week: driving to Memphis with President Wakolo. Also the Batesville branch Christmas dinner was fantastic.

Lowlight of the week: Hna Brown and I finally got sick ... We have both had great health for months and months and the weather just dropped down so we are on the list of the winter cold and cough.

I asked President Wakolo this week during our interviews what we should do to help the people here. He told the analogy of someone who wanted to build a sports arena, but it was in the middle of nowhere. He was mocked and everyone was questioning why he would do that because no one is there! He said if we build it, the people will come. It started off really slow and not many people came, but with time the stadium was one of the most popular places and the people did come. Our Branch here is really tiny, but we are "building" the Spanish and "building" the youth programs and focusing on families. It may be slow at first, but, the people will come! 

They have been doing sports night for a long time and there is just one youth girl and her parents (they are active) who come almost every week and a few less active youth boys who often come as well. This week we also had a recent convert and her daughter come, as well as the Elders' investigator! During our correlation meeting our branch mission leader said he had another family in mind that he would like to focus on inviting. It is small and going little by little but people will come and eventually they will make it here on Sundays, too. 

We are working on talking and teaching with everyone! President Wakolo had us practice giving out pass along cards during our interviews and connecting the "Light the World" to the First Vision. It's so cool how the restoration of the gospel is such a light, and the climax of it is all about light!

Alma 19:6 "Now, this was what Ammon desired, for he knew that king Lamoni was under the power of God; he knew that the dark veil of unbelief was being cast away from his mind, and the light which did light up his mind, which was the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness--yea, this light had infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of darkness having been dispelled, and that the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul, yea, he knew that this had overcome his natural frame, and he was carried away in God--

The Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ is the BRIGHTEST light! And it is accessible through the doctrine of Christ.

Batesville is great. Hermana Brown is the best. Christmas food rocks. Love you all!

Hermana Macfarlane

Sorry we took zero pictures ... this is my first time trying to make soup and it was gross because I got impatient and put way too much seasoning in it.