White or not, it is still Christmas

3^rd Missionary Christmas

Christmas 1970  found me living in Tokyo 2^nd Ward close to Ikebukero.  It was cold and snowy and we were out in it.  I had purchased a pair of snow boots, and loved making tracks in the snow, much to the chagrin of my companion.  She was raised in Ogden, Utah, and snow was not new to her.  I was raised in Australia and Snow was a novelty to me.  Our district leader thought that we could eat at a nice Chinese restaurant with a family style service.  That was the first time I had ever done that.  Of course by the time the Elders had taken their fill of the plates as they revolved around to us sisters, ther was not much food left to choose from.  I guess they were hungry.  My Christmas gift that year was being able to see Mt. Fuji in the distance from the railway line overpass.  It had been snowing all morning, but by afternoon, when we went home, it had cleared to reveal that perfect mountain.  What a spectacular gift.

My second Christmas in the mission field was celebrated in the Mission home with Pres. Abo and his family.  It was warm and loving and my gift that year was the love of the Abo children.

This year marks a third Christmas spent in the Missionary service and I am in Maine, USA.  As I type this it is snowing and perhaps we will have a white Christmas  - who knows.  We have a tree that is a left-over from the previous missionaries.  It is pre-lit and so I bought a bolt of red ribbon and made bows to decorate it.  Also put some candy canes on it  and it will have to do. 

We plan to attend the Lessons and Carols at the Methodist Church in town on Christmas Eve and then on Christmas Day we will join with our congregation in song and scriptures to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

The brightest part of this year’s Christmas has been the cards we have received from all our friends.  The most personal and precious gift was a DVD from friends in Prescott that showed pictures from the trips they took this year, and of Arizona’s best fest – we missed it due to being on our way to the MTC.

On a day when we were feeling particularly down after a training session this week,  Three Cards came bearing gifts of love and support…..just like 2011 years ago three kings brought priceless gifts to the Christ Child.  The greatest gift to all mankind is the Christ Child himself.