We talk a lot in our mission about JOY. The joy of sharing the gospel, the joy of bringing souls to Christ, even, and maybe especially, our own souls. We talk about the difference between joy and happiness. Joy is eternal. It doesn't mean we are going to be skipping happily through daisies every single day, but as we focus on the joy that comes through and from Jesus Christ, it helps us in the hard times to see the eternal picture and find happiness. I felt that this Christmas, even though there were a few hard times and even a few tears were shed due to missing family and friends, it was overshadowed by the great Joy I find in testifying of Him who brought true Joy to the World.
It added to my great joy that Stacie, Thomas and Charlotte were able to spend a few days with us right before Christmas. Bennett's misfortune of having to be out of town the week before Christmas turned into our great fortune to have them here with us. It made it feel a lot more like Christmas to have them here with us during the holidays. They were good sports and tagged along to two days full of our Mission Christmas Conferences, which I think they loved. Thomas and Charlotte were the hit of the conference, especially when they passed out all of our gifts to the missionaries. But we were also able to do a few non-missionary things with them while they were here.
Stacie and Bennett surprised the kids and they found out they were coming to visit on the day of their visit, which was Thomas' birthday. They had gotten him a new suitcase for his birthday and were so excited for the surprise. It was a little anti-climatic when they told him to pack his bags, that he was going to visit Mimi and Pop and he said "oh cool" and continued to play with his new toys, but it was sure fun to get them here.
We got to be part of his birthday celebrations.
One of the evenings we tried to go ice skating and to the zoo lights. Charlotte lasted about 10 seconds on the ice, Thomas about 10 minutes. But some of those 10 minutes included him yelling "this is horrible". We thought it was hilarious, that is the joy of being the grandparents. We left there to go to the zoo lights, but ended up at the food truck roundup instead. We find joy in flexibility.
We made it to the zoo the next day, and found joy in watching the bears eat their lunch and the cougars prowl around their cages.
Charlotte found more joy in eating the candy than putting it on the gingerbread house!
These children spread joy wherever they go. Thomas was so happy to be with the missionaries. His favorite part of the week, though, had to be getting to 'swim' 3 days before Christmas!
The week ended all too soon, but how grateful we were to have them for the short time that we got them here. It has also been so joyful to have Ethan and Preston here for the holidays. We love when they come from BYU to stay with us. It feels more like home when they are here and they bring much joy to Scott, they can loosen him up in a way that I can't. Ethan says his favorite part of Christmas is eating sugar cookies. Not to break tradition, I waited for them to get here so they could participate in sugar cookie making. And, when they are here, it seems we spend a lot of time eating, which isn't such a good thing for my waistline, but it brings us quite a bit of joy.
Every year we have a tradition that we have our nicest dinner of the year on the 23rd of December in honor of Joseph Smith's birthday. This year I took off cooking that dinner for just the four of us and we went out. When the waiter asked us if we were celebrating anything special I tried to get someone to say we were there celebrating Joseph Smith's birthday, but no one took the bait.
This weather is another thing that brings us joy. 66 degrees in December is something I can get used to.
A few days after we had transfers ready to go, Scott and I got a message from some sisters that live and work in a neighboring zone to where we live. We had heard about one of their investigators before, but they were letting us know that this particular investigator was moving, and had bought a house in the ward we live in, in order to better help her keep the commandments. She is a single mom and they thought we would be good fellowshippers for her because she was worried about finding friends in this ward (no worries, it's a great ward). They sent us her new address and it turns out, it is on the exact street where the most amazing, and loving, kind and compassionate woman I may have ever known lives. She is a young widow and single mom in our ward and just emanates love. I told them it was no coincidence that this investigator bought a house on her exact street, that God led her there.
What we didn't tell them at the time, (because it wasn't out yet) is that one of the sister missionaries who has been teaching her and who loves her deeply, is being transferred into our ward. She can continue to teach her and be part of her baptism and fellowshipping, both of them transferred to a new, but the same ward. What joy it brings me to know that God is in the very details of each of our lives.
I want to thank so very, very many of you who have reached out in kindness and love to us this Christmas season. We received more cards, gifts and wishes of love than we have ever received. We felt of your love and support and for that we are most grateful. You certainly filled our hearts with joy and we love you all so very much. We are grateful for a God who has put so many wonderful people in our lives. We are mostly thankful for a God who so loved the world that He gave us his only begotten son, that we might have JOY in this life and in the world to come. Merry Christmas from our home to yours.
Joy to the World, the Lord is come, let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare him room!
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