Time seems to just slip away, I can’t believe it has been almost a month since we last wrote.  We got really busy for a while.  One of the boys in the branch invited 3 boys from his school to his birthday party.  They also invited us.  We invited the boys to learn more about the gospel, and we have had two meetings with them.  They are all seniors in the high school.  Very sharp young men.  But with Christmas they cancelled their last appointment.  So we are waiting until after Christmas to reschedule.  We are (also teaching a single mom with 3 children.  The children just love us, mom- I think knows the Church is true or truer if that is a word, than the Church she now goes to.  It is just hard for them, when all their friends and support go to the church she is attending.  She has been sick and so we will have to wait until after Christmas to schedule with her.

We had another referral from the missionaries on another island, so we set up an appointment to meet with him at the church.  We called ½ hour before we were to meet and he said we were still on for the appointment, but he never showed up.  We tried calling him and it just went to voice mail.  So that was a little discouraging.

This is the week of Christmas, and everyone is so involved with getting ready for Christmas they do not have time for the missionaries.  It sure doesn’t feel like Christmas here.  It has been in the 80’s and blue skies.  We have lots of visitors in church yesterday, as many families come to the island for their Christmas holidays.  I think that is good for us, since we are not doing any of the things that we associate with Christmas, it just seem surreal, which helps with the homesickness! J

The sister that is the Primary president asked me to do Sharing Time and the lesson in church yesterday as her family would not be there.  It has been a while since I was in Primary, but children are children all over the world.  We had a total of 11.  So they all come and they had the song and pray and then music time.  Then I did a sharing time, where we talked about the first Christmas.  I had gone to the second hand store and bought some curtains and made costumes for the nativity. Kids everywhere love to dress up and play act.  So that was fun.  After sharing time, we have the lesson with everyone still there.  So we had children from 4 to 11.  That is hard range to gear a lesson to.  But I told them stories about giving acts of love.  And then we had them do a Christmas card giving an act of service to someone in their family.  I thought it was okay, but I didn’t take the whole time.  I was hoping that the music person, could have us sing different Christmas carols as we did the nativity, but that didn’t happen.  But it was a great Sunday and I really did enjoy doing it.

We have invited a couple that came down in a boat for Christmas dinner.  I am not holding my breath, but we need to prepare as if they are coming.  We need to get the mission car registered today, and visit some of the people that do not come to church.  We made a little sack of candies with a cute poem (Pintrest) and are giving them out to the people.  So the ones that were not in church on Sunday we are delivering.  So we will be busy today and tomorrow.  We will Skype with the kids on Christmas that will be so nice.

I have to say even with being a little homesick, that we are so glad we are here on a mission.  It is amazing what life is when you are working for the Lord 24/7. I always have had a testimony of the gospel, but to be able to live it, and to teach it, and to be his instruments in reaching his sheep, it is – I don’t think there is words to describe the fulfilling feeling that comes because we are about his work.  That little something inside that feels joy, true joy, grows as you feel his arms around you, his spirit whispers inspiration to proceed, and watch as the spirit work.