One Year Out

We have been serving as missionaries for one year. It has been one of the fastest years of our lives. So much has happened, our testimonies have grown, our knowledge has increased, so many wonderful new friends have become apart of our life. It has been much different then we expected. Much more then we ever thought. We have seen and felt the hand of the Lord in every day.

I don't want to forget the December birthdays. HappyBirthday Ellie, Cassidy and Nathan

Thanksgiving was very nice. The Senior Couples got together. Everyone prepared something for the dinner. I was able to make a pumpkin pie with the pie filling that I brought from home. We have since had a pumpkin pie made with real pumpkin. Very good. The meat was a bit different. Turkey is not very popular here in Australia. Very expensive. So we had Chicken and we also had Kangaroo meat. Not our favorite. Hard to think you would eat a Kangaroo. We have great Senior Missionaries. Four serve in the office. One couple is out in a small ward. Four serve as family history missionaries taking digital images of records at the Public Records Office.

We always have to get our tree up right after Thanksgiving, so we did that here also. Last year we had so little time before Christmas that we did not have a tree. This year we made sure we got one. We invited some of our special friends over to decorate it. Two from Korea,Lee and Julie one from Japan , Etsuko and three from China Kenneth, Tang and Abby. This was a first for all of them.

It gave us a great deal of pleasure to watch them carefully arrange the lights and the ornaments.

Lots of pictures were taken. We have enjoyed our tree and those who come to the flat enjoy it also.

We had a lovely trip to the Temple with Etsuko from Japan. Her mother passed away 8 years ago and she was able to do the Baptism for her. She was very touched by the experience. Lucy went along with us. She loves to go to the Temple. Elder Urmston was able to be the Baptizer. I also did some Baptisms. What a great experience that is. For me, this year has been very special as I have watched Elder Urmston exercise his Priesthood. He has been able to baptize at the Temple and also new members, give blessings of comfort and healing and ordain new members to the Priesthood. My appreciation of the Priesthood has grown as we have taught of the power, how it works and also seen it work.

Another of our great Language zone elders is heading home this week. We have enjoyed serving with Elder Perkins and know he will find great success in what ever he does. He has been our zone leader and a good friend.

We also see Elder Berardi return home with honor. We have also had Lee return to Korea last week and Hugo will leave for home in Macoa on Friday. Our sweet friend Etsuko will return to Japan next week. We will truly miss them all.

We look forward to the next few weeks. We will be having ward Christmas Dinners, and Christmas Mission Conference, singing at a retirement center, and Christmas Eve with many young people. We know you all will be very busy preparing for the Special day we have to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

We love you all, Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa and Elder and Sister Urmston