Iaorana tatou!

I passed my year mark last Friday... It feels like ages ago and just yesterday at the same time. It's almost Christmas again!

Highlights from this Christmas-y week:

• This year our mission decided that instead of a white elephant exchange at the mission Christmas party, we would all give some small gifts to families in need. Soeur J- chose a sweet young mother that we teach, C-, and I'm glad we did because turns out she had had a really hard weekend. We also anonymously dropped off a package of food and chocolate at a part member family's house. A great way to #LIGHTtheWORLD 

• Ward Chistmas Party! We all dressed up as shepherds and ate soup. We were in charge of an activity and we had the families make presents for Jesus - based on something my family started my last Christmas at home. We each wrote what gift we would give to Jesus that year - like showing more love to others, reading scriptures more, little things like that - and we put it in a little box and put the box under the Christmas tree with all the other presents to remind us the true meaning of Christmas. He is the Gift! "For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son" 

• There may not be any snow or Christmas lights on every house, but it's still starting to feel a little bit like Christmas as I write my email from our ward mission leader's house, listening to Christmas music and eating fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. Gotta love our members. Yesterday another family cooked a turkey for an early Christmas dinner.  

• Faaitoito te faaipoiporaa Jacob and Emily! Best wishes for the wedding! I expect pictures ;P JOYEUX NOEL and NOELA OAOA!

Oh, I forgot a highlight - we went to the temple again on Wednesday! I was very touched by this verse "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7



Have a very merry Christmas! Je vous aime, Soeur Ladd