Sunday, December 28, 2008

Christmas is over for another year and what a strange and different Christmas this has been. Of course, being on a mission, it is very different from spending it with family. It means more of the birth of the Savior than of presents & Santa. It means more of love than the giving of gifts. Our resources are limited but our joy in the gift our Savior gave to us is full.

This now is the New Year week and the beginning again. Thankfulness for the blessings we received in 2008 and wondering what 2009 holds for us. It’s like opening a new gift each day.

On the Monday before Christmas Sister Froisland & myself help Sister Hemingway with the refreshments for the Christmas gathering in the 2 Rochester Zones of all the young Elders & Sisters that President Hemingway had planned in celebration of the season. Two other such gatherings were planned Tuesday in Buffalo & Wednesday, Christmas Eve, in Palmyra for each of the other Zones. Food was purchased, delivered & set out to provide a fun time for all. Christmas Eve was scheduled for caroling by Elder Weston. Each of us had assignments to carol within the area the companionships were assigned. It rained all evening, melting the snow that had accumulated during the heavy snows that week.

Christmas itself did not feel much like a day off as there was a brunch at 10 am for all missionaries in our area at the Palmyra Stake Center. It was fun greeting everyone with a Merry Christmas & having such good food available. All of the senior sisters provided the food so the assignments were a little heavy, especially for Sister Slack & myself, but food was abundant & we didn’t run out. That evening we had a gift exchange party for the Senior Couples only & that was fun but again, I was assigned to help with refreshments along with Sister Belliston - it just happened that way, somehow. By the time we got home, cleanup & ready to rest - the day was over. It was very busy but a fun day. We did find time to visit with family on the phone between activities. All seem to have had a wonderful Christmas.

We are finding that our mission is full of activities and assignments. We are in the mission office right now, during the slow times at the sites. There is plenty to do with Christmas packages still arriving for missionaries all over the mission and new missionaries coming in tomorrow that need to be trained and oriented. Life is busy!!