Dear Family and Loved Ones,
We have had a wonderful but rainy week here in Long Beach! Somehow the gloomy weather makes it feel more like Christmas. There are many rivers and canals in our area that flow into the ocean. Usually they look like small streams and it seems like the concrete canals are way over built but in the last few days they have filled. We hear that our mild rainstorms are bringing large amounts of snow to Utah - wish we could send you some of our mild temperatures.
The highlight of our week was our Christmas half mission Zone Conferences. We met with half of the mission on Wednesday. in Whittier (the furthest northern Stake in our mission) and the other half of the mission on Thursday in Huntington Beach. Both of the Stakes where we met prepared a delicious meal. A sister in Huntington Beach provided a Christmas gift for each of our 140 missionaries! We also have a living room full of Christmas gifts for Elders and Sisters who many not get anything from home (provided by the Cypress Stake). Wow! The members here are so generous and good to us and our missionaries, our missionaries are fed almost every night, most had several invitations for Thanksgiving meals and already are looking forward to sharing Christmas with our thoughtful members.
Our Zone Conferences consisted of some teaching out of Preach My Gospel on Christlike Attributes, watching the First Presidency Christmas Devotional (awesome), lunch, The Nativity (Readers Theatre and Music), and testimonies of the Savior. The Conferences were wonderful in every way but the highlight was to hear our missionaries share pure testimony of Jesus Christ. The testimonies were short, to the point and filled with the Spirit. It is always amazing to see the depth and understanding of these young people. They may be young in age but their service as missionaries and their personal and companionship studies have given them experiences that make them wise beyond their years.
Sundays are always busy but wonderful. Besides our regular meetings Ted spoke in the Spanish Branch of our Stake, we attended a wonderful baptism and ended the day at a Stake Christmas music concert. The concert was incredible. The members in our mission seem to have received more than their share of musical talent. The congregations sound like the tabernacle choir and when they have concerts the talent is extraordinary. The performances last night were outstanding and truly brought the Spirit of Christmas. We also got to see many of our friends from the Stake. A special moment was seeing a young adult sister perform with the choir who has recently returned to activity after many years away from the Church. She was glowing and it is obvious that her return to activity has brought great joy to her, as well as her family. We also saw Kurt and Shawna Anderson (my first cousin), who now live in our Stake! We are looking forward to getting together with them in the near future.
Earlier Sunday afternoon we met with our Bishop for tithing settlement. What a great Bishop we have! We are so impressed with all of our Church leaders here in Long Beach. Each week our Bishop closes the meeting with a thought or a few remarks. I really love his wisdom, insights and testimony. Last week there was enough extra time for him to share an experience he recently had. He and his siblings always loved to go to the Big Boy Restaurant while growing up in Long Beach. A trip to the restaurant was always a reward for a good report card or for meeting a goal. The family planned to meet at the restaurant and reminisce and relive their childhood tradition. Our Bishop looked online to make sure the Big Boy Restaurant was still in business. The restaurant was still opened but the reviews weren't that good - they went anyway. Bishop ordered his usual, a double decker hamburger (it is supposed to be the inspiration for the McDonald's Big Mac) and a Hot Fudge Cake. The hamburger and fries were cold and not as good as he remembered but the Hot Fudge Cake was delicious! Our Bishop then taught us, "there are things in our past that are better to leave there. We don't need to dig up the bad memories, the hurt feelings or the offences we may have experienced." He encouraged us to let go of anything in the past that is weighing us down and to replace it with forgiveness. President Monson said, "dismiss envy and hatred from your hearts: dismiss the feeling of unforgiveness: and cultivate in your souls that spirit of Christ which cried out upon the cross, 'Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do.' This is the sprit that Latter-day Saints ought to possess all the day long." Oh by the way, our Bishop said that you can always remember the "Hot Fudge Cakes" in your life, reflect on the good times, the memories that bring you warm feelings and joy. What great gifts we can give ourselves this year, forgiveness and gratitude.
Our greatest gifts arrive Tuesday and Wednesday to share Christmas with us here in the mission - our entire family will be together during this sacred Holiday - we can't wait!
May God Bless Each of You!
The Long Beach Buberts
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