These are the two sisters (Ure and Davis) that
Taught Tina the Lessons! They are really good
missionaries! We love them!


Brother Walker baptized her. I have never
seen anyone so excited... Tina Robenolt could hardly
stand the waiting for the "big moment"!!


Our newest member of the Lyons Ward.
Tina Marie Robenolt.

This is a beautiful sunset at the Peter Whitmer
Farm. It really was much better "in person"!!!


Doug wanted you to see that he is not the only one
that looks goofy in winter clothing! Actually I think
Doug looks a bit better than this! Note that his glasses
are steamed up, too!


Sisters Hernandes and Peers. A couple of the site
sisters that we work with. (This day in the JS welcome
center.) We should have got more of the statue... it
is beautiful! (Christmas tree in background. See we
have a little bit of Christmas around!)


Delores trying to hack into someones wireless
station! Sure hope it works!!!


Aha! I successfully cracked in to the Porter's wireless
internet. (I did have permission, by the way!)
Nice Pictures of a cute grandson!


A Pretty home in Palmyra all decked out for Christmas!
We wanted to show you a little of Christmas from NY.


Christmas Lights at the Smith Farm. This is not
all of them, but it was the best picture!


Merry Christmas from the Smith Frame home.


Merry Christmas from the Smith Log Home!
Not the Christmas Decoration on window.

Well, this is kind of a slow news week. Hopefully you will get something out of this short note.

The most important thing that happened this last week was our anniversary… 32 years. (but that was on our P-day last week so you already know about that. It was a good day anyway!)

We had another baptism in our ward. A young lady named Tina Marie Robenalt (That is not spelled right….) She is a really sweet girl and was so excited to finally get “dunked”. It is really fun to see how the Spirit of the Lord touches the hearts of people. She will be a loving touch to the ward. Very loving and kind. He mother doesn’t want to have much to do with her since she is becoming a member of the MORMON Church. Some people have some very strange ideas of what we are all about. We hope that she can be strong and make her mother realize that we are a great religion!

We had an ice storm last Thursday night. Thank heaven we were stationed at the Hill so we didn’t have to drive in it. I wish that we could have taken a picture that would have shown how beautiful it was. It was like sparkly confetti falling from the sky as it hit the lights of the building. Needless to say, no one came to see the site that night. When we went home to our apartment, I thought we were going to have to crawl home. It was so slippery… and they had salted! We would have been out there sliding until morning if they hadn’t have put salt down on the walk!

Speaking of slippery. Last week they gave us a reminder to “shorten our shuffle” now that the walks and roads are slippery. (We didn’t think that we would get that advice on our mission!) After this week, we understand why. Both of us have about “bit the dust” a couple of times. We are getting better at shuffling! (And I don’t mean cards!)

This week I have to help with the Missionary Christmas party. Then the next week I am in charge of the New Years Eve Party! (If anyone has any ideas, please email me at dndpack@msn.com . I need some good ideas!) It ought to be interesting since I won’t have any time off to work on it! I hope that decorations fall from the sky! Oh, well! Maybe I’ll get fired from the activities committee! (That would break my heart!) I love parties, but I don’t think that I am very creative… I guess I will have to learn!

With everyone doing the last of their Christmas shopping, the sites have been really slow. I think we have only had one tour this last week during our shifts. That makes it kind of lonely. We have had some reading and studying time however. Good thing, because I had to teach Gospel Essentials Class this week. It is sure hard to get 45 minutes out of one tiny doctrine. This week it was “We are all children of our Heavenly Father”. You can’t go into the “Plan of Salvation” or anything like that… Just that we are God’s Children. It was challenging. It is hard not to give them “all” the information you know… they would overload and crash…. I have to keep thinking, PRIMARY! Little bits… line upon line. After class Doug made me laugh. He said, “I’m not sure that they have ever seen a visual aid in SS class before!” Maybe not! I wouldn’t be surprised! (I really do believe that Victoria [granddaughter, age 3] has a better grasp on Gospel Principles that some of my class members!)

We had our ward Christmas Party this week. It was different. Everyone had so many nice things to say about how good it was…. I know that the Lord is humbling me! I just kept thinking about how our ward Christmas parties back in Farmington are, and I guess I was in shock. So far every activity our ward has is a dish-to-pass. I am getting the hang of it however! I made “Green Enchilada Chicken” with rice to take as my “dish to pass”. I think it went over well…. Lots of people raved about it. They are so appreciative of anything that you do for them. It is a humble ward.

We have received Christmas cards and packages that are “making our season bright”; thanks for remembering us. Just like home we’ve taped them on the front door for display. But I bet we received a Christmas card from someone you didn’t…..We got a Christmas card from President Hinckley, President Monson, and President Faust. OK, so they probably sent them to thousands and thousands of their closest friends, but somehow we made it to their list. If they sent one to just all the senior missionaries they have a very long list. Pretty cool, huh? (We were going to say that we got a card from Gordon, Tommy and Jim, but we might have been struck with lightening! That is another story that you will have to ask Doug about!)

At this Christmas Season, I am so grateful for my family. Not just my children and grandchildren. My ancestors… those who joined the church so long ago and have given me the “roots” of the gospel in my life. Each generation that has been in the church has become stronger. I can see the blessings of that so much out here where so many members are new and unsure of things. What would we do without the testimony of Jesus Christ and the restoration of the gospel? I do not know! It should be the underpinning of everything we do and say. What a responsibility we have to the rest of the world… they so need the gospel!

Doug and I love you all. We think of you often. We pray for you. We wish you the Merriest of Christmas’ this year! dnd