Today was our
Christmas Conference and it was a very special day! Salt Lake gave instructions
that the whole mission could not gather at once, so they did half of the zones
today and half will be tomorrow.
As the young
missionaries arrives, they were instructed to take off their shoes and put them
into bins with their names on them.
After a nice opening exercises, the young missionaries went into the
cultural hall and did a service project making toys for micro industries to
sells. We senior couples went to another room and polished all of the shoes
that the sisters and elders had deposited, about 100 pair! President and Sister Stratford instructed us
to let them know if any of the shoes were in bad shape, and I think that their
idea is to give a little service and replace some of those shoes.
We then all
divided into three groups, and rotated to three rooms to play Gospel Jeopardy,
a fun charades game and musical chimes.
After that we
gathered in the chapel where President Stratford spoke to us and told us a
beautiful missionary experience about a baptism that took place last Saturday
in a neighboring town in our stake. The woman who was baptized was taught by
two missionaries 16 years ago but her family didn't approve so she joined
another church. Well three darling sisters from our mission found her again and
taught her and she now decided to be baptized! So the sister missionaries hunt
down the two elders who taught her 16 years ago and they return to Ohio and
baptize her!! Such a wonderful story!! It was even featured on mormon.org!
We then sang
Christmas hymns and then were escorted singing into the cultural hall which had
been decorated beautifully and we were served (not a buffet) a delicious turkey
and all of the fixins dinner, all homemade.
Sister Russell,
wife of one of the mission presidency was in charge of the day, and it was
fabulous. Of course many people helped
and the Stratfords were integral, but I think she masterminded the whole day.
After dinner,
we had the sweetest little nativity put on by local primary children, which was
very tender, because it reminded me of the sweet nativities that our grandkids
do each year!
Each of us had
sent in some photos and some Elders put them all together in a video about what
had happened in our mission this past year, the fun, the service and the
spiritual events. They showed this video after the nativity. It was so cool!
Then, as a
surprise, we had each sent in video clips telling the things that we
appreciated and loved about President and Sister Stratford, and the assistants
played that. They were totally surprised and moved to tears, it was wonderful!
We then each
got to go through a reception line and greet the whole mission presidency and
wives and just wish them merry Christmas and they gave us a gift of a Book of
Mormon and a challenge, a Christmas ornament and a homemade dish cloth hand
crotched by Sister Stratfords mother (with an accompanying poem) for every missionary! Wow!
It was so fun
to see these wonderful and inspiring young men and women gather to celebrate
the birth and life of the Savior whom they represent. It truly was a sweet day to spend with these
mazing youth, and know that their families are missing them and have shared
them with us, the people of Ohio and the Lord for 18 or 24 months.
We are so
blessed as missionaries!
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