Big turkey and dressing dinner with the crew
Thursday, the day before Christmas, we had District training at our house followed by a great USA style Christmas dinner with all the gooood stuff!. Thanks to Alecia and her cooking talent.
After dinner we had a great gift exchange, $10 max to drawn name.
Alecia also told them the story of the Christmas orange. For those who don't know the story it goes like this. Gayle, her dad, told his family that he forgot to give them their orange and he threw one out to all of them. He said that when he was a boy it wasn't unusual to just get an orange, a few nuts, and a piece of candy. As Alecia was sitting next to her mother, she was told to OPEN her orange. She was totally confused at such a strange request but did so any way. To her great surprise, her dad had taken the top off the orange, rolled a $100 bill up and stuffed it in the core of the orange, and then super glued the top back on the orange so you couldn't even tell it had been done.. His Christmas gift message that year was, "It's what is on the inside that counts!". We gave each of the missionaries an orange with a $10 bill rolled inside and Alecia shared her father's message.
On Christmas Day, we were invited by Sharon Lavery to her home for Christmas dinner Kiwi style..
Here is a beautiful view from here deck.
As you may remember from a previous post, we have been involved in the teaching of a beautiful young woman from Holland who is here on a working tourist visa, Aurora Greenwood. Well she started out the new year right by being baptized.
She was so nervous about making a "mistake" in getting baptised and sure enough, she had to be dunked twice because her elbow popped up the first time. We had such a great turn out from the branch in support of her. Members brought food for a feed after and she has been loved into the branch by all. She was worried that "her" missionaries would be transferred before her baptism and when they weren't she was so greatful and took it as a tender mercy from Father. This young woman came here on her own nickel, didn't know anybody in town when she got her, and went to church her first Sunday here to meet some friends and continue her search which had started with sister missionaries in Holland. We love and adore her.
We finally got the Green family to church with their new Sunday clothes. We have been teaching Zerjei and Zander for several weeks now and hope they will come into the church soon. Zack and their mom, Zylla are members already.
Here we are with them on the beach for a lesson from the missionaries and a FHE activity.
This lady is Alecia's new hero. She is Dot Smith and is building a castle on the same grounds that she has established a 5 star restaurant, and a home decor shop. She grows a lot of her own food for the restaurant and also has a dairy farm of over 750 head of cattle and milk cows she uses for her restaurant also. She has always wanted to live in a castle since she was a little girl and was called a princess. Isn't it fun to have your dreams come true- especially if you work to make them so.
