Christmas in the GKLM

    There's no way to even sample the Christmas spirit that was felt this past season, nor show what each missionary did to bring the light of the Savior into their lives and those of the people they worked with and taught. But we can tell about what we did as a mission, a week and a half before Christmas Day.

     The December schedule had been packed what with two and half weeks of all-day interviews, a visit of Elder Porter of the Seventy with the accompanying Mission tour and conferences, and the six days (three days of planning and call-outs and three days of the incoming and outgoing missionaries) involved in Transfers. There just didn't seem to be a way to get our missionaries all together, or even in three groups. Besides the scheduling issues, each car has a very limited budget of mileage that  can be used, not nearly enough to drive all the way into Lousiville and back, and the chances of being able to find members who could drive the missionaries back and forth was very slim during the Christmas season.

     But things opened up a bit when Elder Porter called, just before he was going to get on the plane, and cancelled his trip. President Woodbury and I had been felling badly that we couldn't do anything with our missionaries this year, but when we got the news from Elder Porter, decided we'd try to pull a little Christmas celebration together after all. A dozen or two phone calls later it was set. I madly began writing a script, various missionaries started preparing musical numbers while others made arrangements for use of buildings, and I started scrambling to get or make refreshments. I had already solicited and received help from the Warners and Lewises at the Office, in wrapping the Tabernacle Choir CDs we gave each missionary and I had gotten our Christmas cards mailed out. It looked like it just might work.

     As it turned out , we did the Christmas Fireside in three locations: Evansville in Indiana, and Louisville and Lexington in Kentucky. The Devotional was held in the chapel at each location with the President and I narrating the script interspersed with congregational Christmas hymns and special musical numbers by missionaries. Afterward, we adjourned to the Cultural Hall/gym for refreshments, the gifts, the December newsletter, and group singing of secular Christmas songs, including "Christmas Is Upon Us". The latter involved everyone in groups where they did parts and actions in sequence - It was hilarious!

     I was too busy running around, serving, and directing the caroling, to take pictures, which is a shame, because especially the last number, was a sight to see. But everyone seemed to have a good time, both in the spiritual aspects of the Devotional, and the fun aspects of the party afterward. And the President and I  had a great time being with the most wonderful, amazing, incredible missionaries on the planet at Christmas time!

Some of those seen, or barely seen, starting from the left:

Elder Neefe, Elder Duran, Elder Wiggins?, Elder B. Johnson, Elder Rose, Elder Christoperson?, Elder Ferguson,

Elder Nebeker's back, Elder Hammond, Elder Taylor, Elder Adams, Elder Anglin,

Elder Garner, Elder Tuimoala, Elder Shutt?, Elder N. Johnson, Elder N. Anderson?, Sister Ralph, Sister Mikami

President Woodbury and Elder Warner

(unknown Brother on left)

Tiny speck of Elder Granados in the background  

Sister Delgado, Sister Noakes, Sister Mikami,

Sister Ford, Sister Ralph, Sister Cross, and Sister Holt

(The few photos came from Sister Warner and Sister Keller)

(And Elder Porter is now coming January 12-15)