First Christmas in South Africa

President and Sister Reber hosted a senior Christmas party on the 19th of December.  Our anniversary was the 20th so we thought it was a great way to celebrate it.  She had us act out the nativity while she narrated.  After we stopped giggling at the costumes, it was very fun to participate in a nativity for a change.  We then had a gift exchange - like our white elephant game except we were to bring something we wanted to take home from Africa.  I fought for a zebra apron but lost.

Wiseman?

Angel?

Elder and Sister Blake=Mary and Joseph

And the Angels sang=Sister Piepgrass, Sister Jolley, Sister Hymas, Sister Bishop, Sister Leavitt

The wiseman delivered gifts=Elder Jolley, Elder Bishop, Elder Hymas

And a good time was had by all

I thought that if I cooked all day Christmas Eve and invited some people over, it would seem more like Christmas.  So I had been baking all day Sunday (sometimes you have to) and all day Monday and Elder Nilson who lives next door thought I was working too hard.  So to cheer me up, he brought a lovely bouquet of flowers.  He and Elder Hansen were always leaving little treats and surprises over the holidays.

Here are the beautiful flowers from Elder Nilson and all of the wonderful cards, letters, and notes from our loving family and friends.  They definitely helped to bring the spirit of Christmas to South Africa.

So Christmas Eve we opened up our home to Elders and Seniors, had a turkey, ham, rolls (I left the salt out of the rolls but they disappeared anyway:), potato salad, coleslaw, veggie tray, pumpkin bars, and brownies buffet.  We had elders in the kitchen,

In the sun room (Monday is P-day),

and in the front yard.  They are all fun and we love them all.

President and Elder Bishop are discussing something very serious it seems, and Sister Omer, Sister Jolley, Sister Piepgrass, and me were discussing serious subjects while cutting up peppers for the Christmas Day dinner.  I can be very independant but also know when to use helping hands.  It was a fun "warm" Christmas Eve.

The Christmas devotional started with Elder Palmer accompanied on the guitar by Elder Rako......(he's from Madagascar and they have very long names usually starting with Rako or Rando) singing "Mary's Little Boy Child."  None of us knew that Elder Palmer could sing but it brought the Christmas Spirit to me more than anything.  It was beautiful.  Then Elder Mackay played O Holy Night and What Child is This on the flute that was so beautiful.  Elder Rako sang Far Far Away on Judea's Plane in Madagassee with the guitar.  Elder McClellen and Palmer sang O Holy Night with McClellen and Rako accompanying on their guitars.  It was amazing.  There were wonderful testimonies born and Pres and Sister Omer did a scripture reading with Elder Peterson at the piano.  The Seniors sang Silent Night with Pres Omer and Reber singing the second verse in German with a few German and Swiss elders.  It was a beautiful program and the spirit was so strong.

We served 165 of us a Christmas lunch - chicken wraps, fruit, and cookies. 

Elder Nielsen, Farber, Stamp, and Tuttle - great fun loving Elders

It was a very Merry Christmas in South Africa!