CANADIAN CHRISTMAS!

While we are gone from our normal Christmas traditions and our loved ones back home in the United States, we recieved one of our BEST EVER Christmas gifts from Cory and Adam which contained each of our daughter's and their families personal memories and testimonies.  We enjoyed their comments so much and touched our hearts so deeply that it brought tears to our eyes as we read it. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE...YOU MADE OUR CHRISTMAS!!!

We had our Ward Christmas party and these are the 3 Chinese Elders...Wu, Warner (who goes home on January 4th) and Gibson. Below are the Chinese Sisters...Sun (pronounced soon) and Okada.  It took the english speaking Elders and Sister 12 weeks at the Missionary Training to learn Mandarian Chinese.  They are all very special! 

Ted and Christine Newman sat at our table with the Lewis'.  They are both converts to the church.  Ted was a Buddist and Chistine is from the Phillipines where she joined the church.  Ted was 55 and Christine was in her 30's when they both got married for the first time.  They met at a single adult dance.  They have a son, Brad, who graduated from High School last year and is now preparing to serve a mission.  They are a great couple.

The regulars (us) and some of the Chinese Branch members behind us.  This branch is growing very rapidly and has some tremendous new converts.  The man behind us in the yellow and black stripped shirt joined the church 2 months ago and is already serving in the Elders Quorum Presidency.  They are all growing in faith, testimony, and works!!

Instead of Santa Clause, our Bishopric, recited in the Christmas story and handed out gifts to all of the children (oranges and candy canes). Bishop Cook has the microphone, Greg Umbach is in the white shirt and is the 1st Counselor, and Steve Brodie wearing the bath robe is the newly called 2nd Counselor.  This was much better than the traditional Santa routine!

We were very fortuante to have our calendar full for the Christmas week-end.  Here we are getting ready for Chrismas Eve dinner at Brother and Sister Wolsey.  They had 15 people there for the dinner and activities which included all of the children acting out the nativity story.  We had a great time visiting and coming to know them better.

 Before we started the Christmas Eve dinner we did the "Chinese Crackers ".Sue is holding one. This is a holiday tradition in Canada.  Everyone has a cracker, crosses their arms and joins hands with the people on each side of you.  You then pull them and they split exposing a gift inside for the person that retained the center part.  The other person doesn't get anything.  Sue won the paper crown that she is wearing.  CUTE!

This is Christmas dinner at the Lewis' apartment with our office Elders...Muhlestein and Tippetts.  As you can see Sue is wearing a new coat and scarff...a gift to herself from herself.  She is very generous! All in all it was a wonderful Christmas.

ITS A BUSY DECEMBER!

This is Kin's Fresh Fruits and Vegtables Market where we buy our produce instead of at the grocery store. Their selection is greater and includes alot of things we have never seen or heard of that are common amoung the Asian people. 

Elder Larson, who has been in the office for the past 6 months helping us with computer and other technical problems, was released on December 9th and his parents came up from Utah to pick him up. He was always cheerful and a lot of fun to be around. 

December 8th was transfer day when all of the new missionaries come in and the existing ones get transfered to new areas.  This was the biggest one that we have had since we have been here and included about 100 total missionaries with thier luggage.  The travel arrangements by plane, bus, ferry, and train was a nightmare!!

Here are just a few that are in the office getting their supplies ordered from Sister Traxler and Lewis.  This is a very busy time for all of us no matter what our duties are because this is their one chance every six weeks to get problems solved and things replensihed...plus a free lunch!

Here are the 3 Seniors trying to catch up.  Elder Boehmer (far left) came over from Salt Sea Island to help out while Sister Bohemer assisted with all of the lunch preparations. We are taking a five minute break before we have to pack up and take all of the departing missionaries to the Temple in Langley (about 45 minutes away) before they leave for home. 

Believe it or not President Tilleman gave us a few days off to recuperiate.  This happens once every 3 or so months.  We went down to Seattle with the Lewis' which is about 145 miles to the south.  Above is the house that we rented. It was located on Alki Beach which is in West Seattle.  The house was very nice and had been re-modeled from its original construction.

This was the view of the Seattle sky line at dusk from our deck.   It was a beautiful sight inspite of the telephone wires.  Seattle is a beautiful but very wet city...but we were fortunate in that it did not rain once while we were there for 4 days.

Here we are at the top of the Space Needle which was part of the Worlds Fair in 1962.  It is 560' high which made my nerves tingle.  Great site of the panaroma of the greater Seattle area.

We took a 2 1/2 hour Harbor Locks Cruise around Lake Union, Lake Washington, and the Puegent Sound.  On our way we passed the house that was in the "Sleepless in Seattle" movie with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

This is a recent convert from the Yukon territory.  Actually it is Elder Lewis in disguise wearing the new hat that he bought at the "Public Market".  It cost $80 but he thought it would be worth it when he went snow mobiling and snow throwing.  He obviously did not buy it for the looks. The market is the home of the famous Pike's Fish Market which has been in marketing and business seminars for years.  The great value was the flower bouquets for $5 and $10.

We have been busy and now it is time to settle down and get into the reason for the season!!!!!!