December 24-30

Monday, Christmas Eve, found us at the Wanchai Bldg. taking care of Branch business.  The building is beautifully decorated.  

At lunch we met up with some of the temple missionaries for lunch at Outback.

Elder Rhyasen is digging into his burger.

Elder & Sister Rhyasen and Elder & Sister Victor

Sister Hoskins, Elder & Sister Hathaway, Elder Lewis and Sister Clyde  not in the picture but at the end of the table.

 For Christmas Eve we were invited to the Allan & Jill Andersen's home to celebrate with their family and friends.  We caught a taxi from Wancahi out to Causeway Bay.  The Andersen's had two of their sons and their families home for the holidays.  One is living in Beijin with his wife and two children and the other lives in Lehi and is married to Shantel, who we know from Camarillo.  They are here with their two children.  We had such a great evening.  We had dinner, haystacks, then a great program with each family sharing a talent.  The Andersen family played The Bells.  They did a great job.  The Lau family played the piano and violin, I read a Christmas story and the Wests also told a Christmas memory.  We then had dessert, homemade ice cream, carrot pudding, homemade oreo cookies.  Then the Andersen's have the youngest grandchild who can read read the Christmas story from Luke.  He did a wonderful job.

Trinidad, Paul, Bro. Lau

Shantel 

The Andersen family playing the bells

Mar Jean & Brother & Sister West

The Bells

The Wests

The Law family. 

Sister Lau, Trinidad, Jill Andersen

Brother Andersen and his grandsons reading the Christmas story and putting together the manger scene.

Shantel, Aaron and daughter

The children needed to get to bed so Santa could come.  They put out their cookies and milk.  After they got to bed the adults played a few games.  

Jill took us to the bus stop  and we didn't have to wait long for our bus to come along.  I think we were home by about 10.

Christmas morning we got up and headed for the church where we were having a Branch party.  They  started with a project to earn money to send to one of the sisters in the Branch which has cancer and needs money for chemo therapy.  Following that project we had a wonderful program which started off with the Primary doing the nativity.  Then several fun games, singing, stories, more games and ending with a Christmas message from Elder Castleton.  Following the program we had a delicious dinner cooked by Vilma, Rowena, Yehlen, and several other sisters and the Sister Missionaries.

Astra & Sister Lewis

Paul Sequeira, Elder Bingham, Elder Wu

Sr. Missionaries:  Victors, Parrys, Castleton, Leewises

Branch Missionaries

Rowena & Paul

We had a wonderful Christmas.  After leaving the Branch party we went back to Disneyland to finish up our 2 day pass.  It was so crowded all we did was go see the legend of Lion King again and go home.  

Wednesday we had a holiday schedule in the temple so we were there by 6:30 am.  We have sessions at 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11.  Thank goodness we have many of the area missionaries come these days to help out.  Many of our local workers do not come in because of the holiday.  We had a group from Thailand with us all week.  We were able to  help with their own endowments and work in the baptistery most of the day.  At 11 we had a training meeting with President and Sister Aki.  It's always a great day.  On holiday weeks we work every day in the temple.  

We finally caught up with our family sometime during the week.  Kelly and Rob drove to Kimberly's in a snow storm and got there about 11:30 pm.  They had Christmas at Kimberly and Gary's and then left for Island Park later in the afternoon.  Gary had to work Wednesday so they left that evening for Island Park and got there about 1:30 am. Kory and Katie stayed at home and had Christmas with the Goldens.  We are so very blessed. We thank Heavenly Father for this wonderful life which we have.