En el Servicio de Dios: Feliz Navidad

It's December 21st and 84 degrees in the DR (it's always 84 degrees) It's very humid but it's "cozy" as President Cornish (Area President) says.

Elder Kent and Hermana Kay Wilson Parowan, UT

We just went to lunch with the new "self-reliant" missionaries, the Wilsons. This is a picture of them and they are cute and fun. On Christmas Eve we went to Boca Chica to the beach. It's the first we've seen a beach since we've been here, It's was pretty. We traveled further east and went to Juan Dolio Beach where everyone says you can find lots of seashells. Kay (Sister Wilson) got a beautiful shell that she watched wash up from the ocean. It was about four inches long and three inches across. It was a nice day and as I stood next to Kay, I said, "Look out there across the ocean. Can you believe we're standing here on the beach on Christmas Eve worrying that we will get sunburned?"

Beach Boca Chica, DR

We are so blessed to see other parts of the world and experience different cultures. We are so blessed to meet new people that can teach us so much. Everyone of the missionary couples has something to teach Elder and Hermana Park. We love them so much and are grateful for them. They certainly don't replace our children and grandchildren, but they are our family for now and they are amazing examples to us.

We are having a very unique Christmas. We are excited to spend our first Christmas serving the Lord full time.

Hermana Paula Fuller y Hermana Park

For FHE wrapped presents for missionaries here in three missions. Our FHE group has been putting together gifts for all the Latino missionaries who don't get any gifts at Christmas (which is all missionaries, except North Americans).
We started with one mission, but got so many donations from home, we've been able to do all three missions in the DR plus give ties to a large group in Haiti and in Guadalupe. We still have ties for next Christmas.

Wrapping Presents for Young Missionaries

Most of our FHE group will have gone home next Christmas, so watch for your opportunity to share with these awesome young missionaries next Christmas season. We will be looking for earrings and dark Peds for the sisters and socks and maybe ties for the Elders. We'll let you know next October.

Many Elders go out with one tie. They are required to acquire everything to get them into the mission field, even if they get help for expenses while serving. For many of them, it's a huge sacrifice. I remember our son David telling us that many of the missionaries in Peru actually lived in better circumstances while on their missions than they did at home. I really understand that now.

On Christmas Eve we delivered a small gift to our two apartment security guards. They are so grateful and we really appreciate them being outside for 12 hours a day to take care of our every need.

Christmas Day we cooked breakfast for the missionaries in the CCM (MTC) at 6:30 a.m. When everyone found out that it was Peggy's birthday, the young and senior missionaries sang "Happy Birthday" and "Cumpleanos Feliz." At 7:30 am one of the missionaries commented, "...we have to have cake if you sing Happy Birthday." It was a fun moment for Peggy.

Then our choir performed our Christmas program for them at 8:30 a.m. It was a special moment when we realized that here are three cultures (Dominicans and Latin Americans, French Haitians and the North Americans) all brought together with a common bond of unity in Christ to celebrate His birth, to praise His name and to invite everyone to "come unto Him." We all sang together, "Regocijad! Jesu's nacio" (Joy to the World). What strength. What power! There was an amazing feeling that we shall never forget.

DR MTC Missionaries

At 1:00 we went to the Westover's (another couple that we sing with that are serving as temple missionaries) for lunch. It was a great feast of turkey, salmon, potatoes, gravy, stuffing and all sorts of extras. Then in the evening we went to the Colonial Zone to a concert at the Cathedral there. We've been too busy to feel melancholy. It's good for me.

This morning we helped in the baptisry. It was crazy busy. I got to see some of my favorite people either working there or coming in for ordinances. I love to see our Institute students in the temple. There is a kind of bond we have when we serve in the temple together. It's hard to explain, but you definitely feel it. The spirit is so strong.

When we finished, we went with our friends, Kris and Steve Bentley, the mission techs, to order our next year's Christmas presents for our family. It was a fun day and an interesting adventure. We are actually in our home for more than a half hour for the first time in a week! It's 8:00 p.m. and I'm ready for bed.

One more thing about Christmas here: We may have said we live across the street from the park. It has one of the 10 largest light displays in the world (so we've been told) they use 8,000,000 lights.

When it's not really crowded, it's amazing. They have many vendors there that sell food and you can sit and eat and just look. They have a kids area with a small roller coaster and a tubing hill. It's all done in an "Under the Sea" theme this year. They even have a mermaid "Nativity". Weird but it's all cute. The baby Jesus is in the oyster shell (odd).

The tree trunks are wrapped very densely with lights. They have lights strung across the walking paths with hanging-down streams of lights. There's entertainment, like at theme parks, all through the park also.