It’s almost Christmas!
We had fun this week putting up Christmas decorations at the Institute. Bernie did a good job of decorating David, too!
I was able to help some other senior missionaries prepare food for the mission tour. We did a lot of chopping, and I smelled like onions all night, but it was fun. Sister Knight even made BYU brownies for all the missionaries – YUM.
The mission tour with Elder S. Gifford Nielsen and his wife was wonderful. They encouraged us to ask Heavenly Father for blessings. Elder Nielsen quoted Elder Lynn G. Robbins as saying that for a business man, “a problem is a goldmine,” and added that it can be for us, too, as we use challenges to turn weaknesses into strengths and refine our characters. Sister Nielson said she was online when she came across an anti-mormon article. She thought about all the gospel has done for her and how her life has been blessed because of Joseph Smith. She didn’t know anything about the person who wrote the article, except that they hadn’t done a single thing for her, so she decided to not give them even a moment of her time. It was a great day, and we learned lots. Pres and Sis Layton, Elder and Sis Nielsen are center front below:
One of the YSAs from my mission prep class started his mission here while waiting for his visa to Papua New Guinea. It was so fun to see him at the mission tour meeting.
Elder Tuinamoala and friends, not letting cinnamon rolls go to waste.
Saturday we made Christmas cookies like crazy for Sunday’s FHE at the mission home.
When it got too dark to play volleyball Saturday night, YSAs came inside the Institute for punch, a movie, popcorn, and cookies that Delai, Inia, Tomasi,David and Thomas (a friend from Belgium) had frosted earlier.
The place was kind of a mess by the end of the evening, but these guys are the absolute best at cleaning up!
Errrol, Tetika, and Maloni, best kitchen help ever!
President and Sister Layton did a wonderful job talking about Christ and how to have JOY at Christmas (putting Jesus first, then Others, &Yourself last). About 90 attended, and as everyone left, we shook their hands, wished them Merry Christmas, and gave them a Treat bag with “ASaviorIsBorn” pass along card. It was great to hear them sing Christmas hymns. 
It was a special evening for a special time of the year – and no one wanted to go home!
