Triple Zone Christmas Party

On Saturday December 20th, 2014.  We had a big triple zone Christmas party for the missionaries.  We ate and had a gift exchange and later acted out the nativity.  We did not go to the nativity because our kid were calling us.  All of the kids went to Grandma Edington's for Christmas Eve dinner and the nativity.  They did the nativity before they ate so it would not be so late for use.  It was wonderful to be able to participate through FaceTime and see all the grandkid playing the parts of Mary, Joseph, angles, shapers, wisemen and donkeys.  It really made it special and much easier to handle the fact that we could not be there and that our christmas had not come from most of the kids.  But that is another blog entry for later.

 The Carliles left for Durban on December 29th and then left for home on January 5th.  These are only some of the young men they have been responsible for as MLS missionaries.  As you can see they are truly loved by the young men.  The Carliles have been a wonderful example to us of what services in The Lords kingdom looks like.  They served righteously and unceasingly right up until the very end. They were and are loved by the people of South Africa who they loved and served so completely, as well as the missionaries they served.   We, as Senior couples love and miss them more than they will ever know.  I hope to grow up and be as good of missionaries as they are.

The food for the party was catered by a company here in Bloemfontein.  They did a wonderful job and will surely be used again.  The tables were decorated, the food was prepared and served and cleaned up.  That was a special treat to all the Senior Sisters to not have to worry about food for once.  It was really nice.  There was tons of food.  I think it is the first time in my life that I say all the missionaries filled completely and there was still food left over.  

  There was a very festive feeling in the air as the missionaries waited patiently for the luncheon to begin.  Te food smell good and the chatter was friendly.  Only the weather destroyed the allusion of Christmas.  Outside it felt more like the fourth of July

President Zackreison wished us all a Merry Christmas and talked to us for a while.  We sang some Christmas Carols that helped to bring the Christmas Spirit.

It was a wonderful day filled with Christmas carols, good food, good friends, and the Christmas Spirit in abundance.  I can not imagine that anyone was disappointed in the day.