Only 11 more days!

This was not a great day to take the bus....so we were happy to be able to ride in a car to church.  Elder and Sister Turpin have a car, which was here waiting for them.  It was a great day for Elder Turpin to adjust to driving in a different land....and adjust to driving around a city with bicyclists and pedestrians everywhere you turn.  He did just fine.

This was another day to soak up the beautiful messages about the Savior's birth and mission here on earth.  Something that was said reminded me of a film the Church made years ago about the Savior.  I remember the scene showing Mary holding the infant Jesus and Joseph walking through a crowd of people.....the camera backed away from them all the while ascending up in much higher than the crowd, so that at the longest shot you could see the great courtyard of the Temple with hundreds of people milling around.

I remember thinking in awe that Joseph and Mary seemed so young and inexperienced and (for want of a better word) so powerless again the forces of the world, and there they were holding a completely defenseless baby who was the Hope of the world.

Surely there were legions of angels charged with protecting them, but the responsibility Mary and Joseph carried must have been incredible.

Every meeting in church today was centered around the Savior.  It was most edifying.

Later in the day, I went home teaching with SK and along with his companion visited one of our beautiful young single adults.  She is in law school and a returned missionary from Temple Square Mission.  Her testimony shines through in all that she does and says.  I am not sure, but I think SK's companion was somewhat smitten.....I would wonder about him if he hadn't been!

We all (YSA's from our branch - about 8 including the two young elders -and us) met for dinner and then the Christmas broadcast at one of our branch family's home.  As is nearly always the case, we feasted.  Pulled pork, frikadeller, red cabbage slaw, mango salsa and for dessert, my contribution was eclair cake.  If you are interested here is the recipe....it is quite a find, because it is so much easier to make than eclairs and so much easier to eat with a fork since it is a piece of eclair cake (kind of).

If you are interested here is the recipe and I promise it is outstanding.

http://amandascookin.com/2013/06/cream-puff-chocolate-eclair-cake.html

We watched the broadcast (second time SK and I have seen it in two days) and we both loved it...the music was soooo beautiful.  The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang "Still, Still, Still" in a hauntingly beautiful arrangement, and "Silent Night."  They also sang a selection from "The Messiah" which was wonderful.

We have only a few more days to enjoy all of the Christmas celebrating.  I am going to have to find something to look forward to in the coming months, so having it over doesn't leave too much of a void.  How about a trip to Norway in February for YSA training??????

I think that works.