The last of the Christmas pictures!

Christmas

Our REAL Christmas tree.

 Christmas morning breakfast

 

Christmas eve with two different wonderful families

Wandsworth zone missionaries

Our district with our zone leaders

Christmas eve zone breakfast and caroling

Christmas Eve Temple Trip

Christmas was such an amazing experience! It was so wonderful to be able to testify of the Saviour at the time of year when we celebrate His birth. It was such a special privilege that I will remember forever.

Our Christmas present from our mission president was the opportunity to attend the temple! We absolutely loved it. It was so wonderful. There is such a strong Spirit in the House of the Lord and it is always a blessing to be able to enter His house and worship there. I have such a great love for the temple, and this most recent visit increased my love for it even more.

On Christmas Eve we had a special breakfast with all of the other missionaries in our zone (28 of us). We played ping pong, basketball, darts, and finished singing Christmas hymns and watching the new Christmas Mormon Message. That was followed by lunch and dinner appointments with members from the branch here and one of our investigators. They were so kind and there was such a warm spirit in there homes. I also realised that there are many people who do not have a place to go for Christmas. Many of the people we teach told us that they had no plans and no family here. I am so blessed to have had a place to celebrate Christmas with those I love every single year of my life.

Christmas Day was an extra special day. We woke up early to make breakfast for the sisters we share our flat with! They were so surprised. We had omelets, french toast, fruit salad, and hot chocolate. Then we opened up our presents around our REAL (but very small) Christmas tree. I once again felt so blessed to have so much. 

We followed that with an extra special morning study where we read the story of the Nativity from the Bible and discussed it together. My appreciation and love for our Saviour Jesus Christ grew as I learned new insights about the story of His birth. 

Our Christmas Day also included two more delicious meals and fun with the members, and an extra special opportunity to skype our families. It was amazing to see them and speak to them after so much time away! Of all the blessings that I have in my life my family is the one that I treasure the very most. 

I love the Saviour Jesus Christ. I know that He lives, has suffered and died for each of us, knows us personally, and will always be there in times of need. The Christmas season is a special time when we celebrate His birth, but the wisest men celebrate Him every day through out the year!