Dear Family and
Friends:
Celebration of the long Philippines
Christmas season has come to an end. In
the Philippines Angeles Mission, the apex of our Christmas celebration took
place on December 23rd and 24th with our Christmas
Conference. On each of those days, we
hold a day long half-mission Conference.
Our missionaries really look forward to our Christmas gatherings and the
2015 Christmas Conference did not disappoint!
Our Christmas Conferences are planned to
uplift and encourage the missionaries and brighten their lives with the true
spirit of Christmas. During the seven
hours together, we do a little mission business, have some delightful Christmas
activities and, of course, provide a good measure of spiritual
celebration. The highlight of the day
includes the Christ-centered Christmas program and the missionary Gift
Room.
During the Christmas Program, the
missionaries gave each other the gift of Christmas spirit through a beautifully
written scriptural narration and stirring Christmas music. Because of your generosity, the missionaries
were also able to visit the Gift Room to select much needed gifts for their
companions. The Gift Room was stocked
with white shirts, ties, socks, belts, skirts and blouses, umbrellas, watches
and toiletries - all provided through your generosity. Each missionary is invited to go to the Gift
Room to select items “needed” by their companion. Thankfully, because of your gracious giving,
the Gift Room meets the “needs” of the missionaries and provides much
appreciated gifts for all of our missionaries. This year donor kindness also
provided new shoes for thirteen of our missionaries who were working in unfit
and uncomfortable footwear.
The true beauty of the room is not in
the gifts themselves but in the sweet spirit of giving it fosters. For some of our missionaries, the Gift Room
provides the opportunity of giving their first Christmas gift ever! The beautiful principle of, “It is better to
give then to receive,” is manifest in the Christmas Gift Room.
So we say thank you and include a few
photos so you can share the memories.
Your contribution made a big difference
in a young missionary’s life this year.
They and we will forever be thankful!
Love,
President and Sister Clark
Philippines Angeles Mission
We thought you might like the note from
one of our missionaries.
“I'm grateful for the Christmas conference last Thursday it was
really good i learn a lot…
i am grateful for all the blessings that i receive this
Christmas. The gifts I get from my companion and the person who give me money
to buy shoes to continue to work. i don't know who gave it but thank you for
that person. :) it make me cry and smile :) i am grateful for hardship in our
work and in everything. i know that Heavenly father really love me because i am
a child of God.”
Packages were delivered for our Gift Room from
some missionary moms and dads!
We also received donations from wonderful
Ward Members from back home.
We sure had fun shopping for the last minute goods.
Our only Senior Couple, the Whiting's, did a fabulous job setting up and manning the Gift Room.
Our missionary's companions loved their gifts.
Thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
