HOUSTON, TX—During last Saturday’s Houston South Spanish
Branch Christmas activity, Sister Heidi Conner, a missionary serving in the
branch, was cast as the Virgin Mary for the nativity reenactment. “We just
thought,” said Sister Tevez, wife of Branch President Tomás Tevez, “that a
sister missionary would be the closest thing to Jesus’ pure and holy mother.”
Sister Conner, who very hesitantly accepted the role, said, “well,
it was a little awkward, I mean especially since Brother Sandoval was Joseph.” Sister
Conner continued, “I mean, my first thought was why not just have his wife,
Sister Sandoval be Mary, but somehow that just didn’t fit what they had in
mind.”
Several branch members reported that this year’s
reenactment was “especially spiritual.” “I just thought it was perfect this
year,” said Sister Alvarez, adding that “Mary was just so lovely and pure.” Another branch member
reported that “it really gave you a sense of how difficult the whole thing must
have been for Mary, I mean, you could just see all of the discomfort, pain, and
awkwardness on Mary’s face. It was powerful.”
Only moments before the live nativity, Sister Conner and her
companion, Sister Brooks had a short but rather intense discussion about the
Branch’s request. Sister Brooks seemed less concerned about her companion’s
interaction with the married Brother Sandoval and more concerned about why she
was not chosen. The discussion only ended when President Tevez invited Sister
Brooks to participate as “the loveliest, blondest, and most beautiful angel
shepherds had ever seen.”
When the Mission President found out about the reenactment,
he immediately sent an addendum to all missionary White Handbooks prohibiting “all
participation in live nativity reenactments or even being in the room where
one is going on.” When the local Stake President found out, his only comment
was, “well, that is still better than the Sunday when the branch had several
baptisms and so they ordered pizza delivered as refreshments; we’ll count this as
progress.”
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