December 2013
Dear Family and Friends,
We are nearing the end of our mission here in the
Philippines and I am so thankful for your love and support. In the Philippines the Christmas season
starts in the "ber" months: Sept. Oct. Nov. and December are the
celebrating months. I have to say I have
loved hearing the Christmas music each time we have gone to the grocery or into
the mall. I even put up my tree early
this year (Halloween) since I doubt I will ever do that again. Since it is Christmas I wants to tell you a
wonderful and glorious story of someone I love very much, so here it is:
There was a beautiful young woman living in the City of
Galilee. She was kind and wise beyond
her years and very much in love with her fiancé. He was a carpenter and well respected for the
masterful work he would produce with his gentle hands. They were to be married
soon, and Mary became concerned I am sure when she found out she was expecting
a baby. Not just any baby, but the Son
of God. She and her humble love, Joseph
had been told of this miracle in revelations from God. Unfortunately, the end
of her pregnancy was fast approaching and they had to travel to Bethlehem to
pay their taxes. Mary was very
uncomfortable riding on the donkey, Joseph led through the day and into the
night. They arrived in Bethlehem late in
the evening. Joseph left Mary and the donkey
in a stable to search for lodging (they did not have the internet reservations
system we have today). Joseph began to worry as he traveled from place to
place, unable to find a room for his sweetheart. Anxious but unable to find
a hotel, Joseph returned to the stable
where shortly thereafter, Mary gave birth to her firstborn son. She gently wrapped the baby in swaddling
clothes and lay with him in the manger watched over by Joseph. Slowly, and
incredible thing happened as the animals calmed and an angel of the Lord came
upon shepherds in the field. The
shepherds were terrified and they had never seen an angel before. I think I would have been afraid also. But the shepherds heard the gentle voice of
the angels say, "Fear not: for behold I bring you good tidings (news) of
great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is
Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." Then out of the heaven a
multitude (that means many) of the heavenly host (a really cool angelic choir)
joined the angel and sang praising, "Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace, good will toward men."
As the angel and the choir ascended into heaven the Shepherds decided they
had to check this out, I mean really how many times do angels come and tell you
to go and find a baby just born in a manger. So they came with
"haste" the story goes, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe
lying in the manger. Soon the word
spread across the land and three wise men came with gifts for the baby. Everyone marveled at the sight which they
witnessed that evening but Mary kept the things she had witnessed and
experienced and pondered them in her heart.
This young baby would grow to share his earthly fathers love for
creating beauty and teaching others of His Father in Heaven's gospel of
peace.
As Christmas comes this year and I serve the last few
months, the wonderful young people of the Philippines, I want those I love to
know I believe the Savior, Jesus Christ is my elder brother who loves me and he
loves you. He know our hearts, our
desires and he has and continues to
bless our lives through repentance and through the redeeming, enabling
power of his atonement. He lives, it is
through him that we find peace and real happiness in this earth life full of
trials, troubles, sorrow and of joy and happiness. His has indeed blessed each of my children
and cradled them in his arms while I have been physically far from them serving
him. I know that through my service
others have been blessed beyond measure.
I know he is the head of the true gospel and he alone leads and guides
that church daily through a modern prophet Thomas S. Monson. I know the Book of Mormon is holy scripture
that testifies of Jesus Christ and that if we read and study that book along
with the Bible we will know the things we should do and how to live our lives
so that when we meet again, our Savior, will cradle each of us in His arms and
say, "Well done, my good and faithful child, enter into my kingdom and
rest."
May you each have a wonderful, spiritual, glorious Christmas
season full of love, laughter, and hope for the future. I love you, I cherish you, I am blessed to
know you and to call you my friend, my family, my love!
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