Christmas Festivities

Christmas is magic.  And the magic was 21 times as wonderful this year.

 21 children -- 21 stockings -- One Santa (and a couple of imported helpers)

Christmas Eve afternoon we went to Chorley and did our usual Christmas Caroling.  When we returned we listened to a powerful message by Elder Holland which stirred their hearts and reminded them of their commitment to the Savior.

  That evening we gathered in the apt. for a Christmas Eve Family Home Evening.  We let them share some favorite Christmas memories, we sang, we had a Christmas story about the white handkerchief and invited them to each take a white handerchief from the tree and keep it as a memory of this Christmas -- their first as a missionary!

 

In conclusion, we read from Luke and Matthew and sang the carols that go with it and then gathered around in family prayer.  We learned last year and it was evidenced again this year that many have never shared the Biblical nativity story on Christmas Eve and many have never had family prayer.  It is a sweet thing to gather with them and wrap ourselves in the spirit which is so evident at those times. 

As a  Christmas Gift we gave the missionaries an extra hour of sleep on Christmas morning.

(actually we were giving Santa and extra hour of preparation time!!!)

At the appointed hour we  met them at the top of the stairs and brought down to the tree -- the stockings -- the gifts -- and a breakfast of waffles and fruit cocktail in our apartment!

Now don't they look like happy little campers with  bulging stockings, smiles on their faces and the joy of Christmas.

All previous signs of homesickness were gone on this festive morning.  These young people have become such wonderful friends.  Forevermore they will remember with fondness the brothers and sisters they came to know and love in the MTC.

 

 

 

Members the world over love the missionaries and reach out to them at Christmas.  A youth group from Huddersfiled (some distance) brought these many gifts to the missionaries.  We put them under the tree in our apt. and during breakfast they drew numbers and each retreaved a gift and a card.  (I might just add that the cans of Pringles were BIG hits!! -- much bigger than the candy!)

At the end of the morning they came forth with gifts for us.  They were so excited and could hardly wait for us to open them.  They had made their own plans and done their own shopping the day before when we went caroling in Chorley.  I thought I knew everything in every store in Chorley, but they uncovered some treasures I had never seen before.  Not only was it a great surprise and very touching, but they gifts were wonderful.  Forevermore they will remind us of these most wonderful days and Christmas with the missionaries!!!!

 

At noon some pre assigned families came and picked up the companionships and took them to their homes for lunch and to listen to the televised Queen's speech!  They came back beaming from ear to ear.  It was fun for them to be with families and do some family things on Christmas Day.

 

For dinner we pulled out the leftovers (just like home) and then watched another Christmas Devotional from Provo.

 

And for a grand finale -- we invited them to get their slippers and popcorn and we turned on The Muppets Christmas Carol.

 

And then -- we sent them to bed and we did the usual Christmas Night collapse!