Christmas Day 2011

Being in Warsaw for Christmas, we were able to attend the Warsaw II Branch this morning, where President participated in the Blessing of Izabella Nabozny. Her parents,Richard and Asia, were visiting from Hungary for the Holidays. Dominik and Brother Rzeczycki assisted in the Blessing.

Sisters Bailey and Jones with Ewa (right), who will be baptized on Friday and her member friends.

Iza and her family: Richard, Dougie, Asia and Grandmother all attending Church on this wonderful day.

After Sacrament Meeting, many of the missionaries in Warsaw came to the mission home for the afternoon to wait for phone calls from home. Sisters Jones and Garcia, Elders Curtis and Murphey, Sister Bailey, Elders Walter, Sorn, Dabrowski and Sister Mann.

Downstairs, an exciting game of 'Settlers' was being played to wait out the time that these Elders would get to talk to their families. (LtoR): Dominik, Elders Dopp and Johnson.

Each missionary brought a gift to contribute to the 'white elephant gift exchange' we held that afternoon. In this game, you could either choose a gift under the tree OR 'steal' a gift that your neighbor had already chosen. Once it had been 'stolen' twice, it could not be taken again.

So....there was strategy involved!

Sisters Mann and Garcia ended up with the 'coveted' basketball backboard and rim...

... while Elder Krzyminski ended up with this 'gem' of sweater brought by Elder Curtis who purchased it at a store that sells clothes by the kilogram. It IS warm....100% wool. It did have a different smell and was a little itchy...

The Warsaw II District presented President Nielson and I with a great gift for a 'date night'! It included hot cocoa, popcorn and a puzzle that we must put together to see the messages they wrote to us! We can't wait to put it together...together! (Elders Curtis, Murphey, Hillyard, Dopp, Sisters Bailey and Jones, Elders Johnson and Dabrowski.)....... Date night- maybe next year.

(Below): Sisters Jones and Bailey enjoying watching the church produced film, 'The Testament' while waiting for their parents to call.

I managed to get some photos of missionaries talking to their families.....they were in practically every room in the mission home. It was great to see the smiles on their faces as they talked to those they loved back home. Elder Sorn was one of the first to hear from his family. Being from Germany, we are on the same time zone.

Elder Hillyard talking with his family in Lindon, Utah.

Elder Krzyminski talking to his family in Ohio.

Elder Curtis talking to his family in Salt Lake City, Utah.

And Elder Murphey talking to his family in Washington. Calling home is a BIG DEAL! Missionaries are only allowed to talk to their families by phone 2X a year.....Christmas Day and Mother's Day. Each missionary had 40 minutes to visit with their families as per the 'Missionary Handbook'.

Elder Myler and Walter head back to their apartment on the other side of Warsaw to open a few more packages that came the day before. They also went and visited some members.

As the 'party' was dying down, the missionaries got together to sing a round of Christmas Carols...which they never get tired of singing. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day! What a blessing to be able to spend a day celebrating the birth of our Savior with those that are on full-time missions representing Him. We are truly blessed! Merry Christmas!