Dear Family and Loved Ones,
Well Christmas has come and gone and my only complaint is that it happened too fast!
Last week was really special we had two half-mission conferences and were able to see each one of our missionaries to celebrate Christmas. Our conferences were filled with Christmas music, reading the Christmas story from the scriptures, testimonies of the Savior and having fun together. Several companionships taught Christ-like attributes (faith, humility, charity and obedience) to start the conference off. The missionaries were then invited to share Christmas memories – there was a wide variety of stories and insights which we all learned from. Next we showed the First Presidency Christmas Devotional which is always amazing. Following the devotional we had a break for lunch.
Lunch was a chance to relax and have fun with our missionaries. Our Christmas lunch was delicious (provided by two of our great stakes) we then played an entertaining white elephant game and took a mission photo.
After lunch we returned to the chapel for the Christmas Story, it never gets old to read the sacred words from Luke about the Savior’s birth. Singing Christmas Carols together also brought a powerful Spirit to our conference. We then heard testimonies from our missionaries who will be finishing their missions in January. We will be losing twenty one missionaries! Ted has already started planning for the next transfer – he begins by taking the pictures down of the missionaries who will be completing their missions. It is painful to see the twenty one photos of our most outstanding missionaries at the bottom of the transfer board with RIP written above their pictures :) One of the greatest testimonies that this is the Lord’s work is that the work will keep going even after such a great loss of leadership and experience.
President Devereaux (Ted’s counselor) and his wife and Ted and I all shared testimonies to conclude our conference. Each missionary took home a generous gift bag provided by another great stake. Two other stakes put together Christmas gifts for missionaries who wouldn’t be receiving packages from home (mostly our International missionaries). What would we do without our great local members who love, feed, spoil and support our missionaries? We appreciate them!!!
Shelly and John arrived on Christmas Eve (best Christmas gift ever). Our family tradition is a Christmas Day movie but since Christmas fell on Sunday this year we went on Christmas Eve to see a movie, Sherlock Holmes, which we all enjoyed. Christmas Day was beautiful, it was wonderful to celebrate the Savior’s birth by attending sacrament meeting with our family and friends from the ward. The talks and music were all centered on Christ’s birth and mission, it was perfect. The kids all agreed to open gifts after Church, even though it was a pretty humble Christmas everyone seemed really happy just being together.
Skyping helped ease the sadness of missing family, we Skyped with my Dad and extended family on Christmas Eve as they were gathered for their annual dinner. Christmas night we were entertained by Pearl and Violet when we had a chance to Skype with the Smith and Jewkes families. Technology is a huge blessing to all of us who are separated by many miles, especially during the holidays. We really felt like we were right there with our loved ones and could almost reach out and touch them.
Today we received two visa waiters, they are waiting for visas to New Zealand but we are fortunate enough to have them here temporarily. We were concerned we might need to close down a couple of areas but they arrived just in time to keep the work going! Our two new Elders spent Christmas in the MTC. They said it was a very sacred experience. Elder Bednar came to speak to the missionaries and since Christmas was on the Sabbath they had sacrament meeting with the 2,000 or more missionaries. Elder Bednar said it was most likely the largest sacrament meeting ever held! Ted was involved with some interviews (two of our Elders who leave a few weeks early because of scholarships) so our assistants took over the training of our newest arrivals and did a fantastic job. The assistants to the President are always so reliable, they take on many extra responsibilities and still keep the work moving forward in their area. We have been blessed with excellent assistants!
These words from President Uchtdorf are very meaningful to me as we strive to serve our Father in Heaven and His Son as His missionaries:
President Uchtdorf said that we, “like the Wise Men of old, should seek the Christ and lay before Him the most precious of gifts: a broken heart and a contrite spirit. We should offer Him our love. We should give Him our willingness to take upon ourselves His name and walk in the path of discipleship. We should promise to remember Him always, to emulate His example, and to go about doing good.”
We cannot offer perfection, and the Savior does not expect it, President Uchtdorf said. “But He does require that we bring as gifts our best efforts to move ourselves, one foot in front of the other, walking in the ways He has prepared and taught.”
“The Savior’s gifts to us are breathtaking,” President Uchtdorf said. He explained that through the Atonement, the Savior offers us immortality, forgiveness, and eternal life.
Though some of Christ’s gifts to us will be given only when our time on earth ends, President Uchtdorf emphasized the many gifts that the Savior gives every day. “He promises to be with us, to come to us when we need comfort, to lift us when we stumble, to carry us if need be, to cry, laugh, mourn, and rejoice with us. Every day He offers to take us by the hand and help transform ordinary life into extraordinary spiritual experiences.”
We are so grateful for all of the great gifts our Savior has given to us and pledge our best efforts to give Him all we have and all we are.
Thank you as well for your many thoughtful gifts and Christmas wishes – we appreciate each one!
We love you all,
The Long Beach Buberts
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