G'day everybody! That was so amazing to see all of you! I really do have
the best family in the world! All the younger kids look and sound so
much different! This has been such a fun Christmas. The only thing I was
missing was all the family. I think this Christmas is the first time
I've felt a little homesick. Of course I've missed the family but I
haven't been homesick yet until we started going to a couple of the
members family Christmas get-togethers. We went to a cottage meeting at
the Pauga's where we sang carols and everyone talked about their
family's Christmas traditions. That one made me miss home a bit. It was
funny, the Pauga's do almost all the same things as we do. They even do
the thing where you pull someone's name out of a hat and you are their
secret santa. So I got a bit trunky after that, but I know why I am here
and what I am doing. I wouldn't trade this time for anything in the
world. It has been the funnest year of my life. And I can't believe it's
been a year! It doesn't feel like it's been that long and yet at the
same time it feels like I have been gone for ages.
The Christmas Eve party was heaps of fun. They split us into groups when
we got there and some got to go to a nursing home and sing carols to
the oldies and the rest of us helped put together gifts for foster
children. That was really cool. After that we had a big lunch. Heaps of
food. After that we did our skits. Our was a song that the sisters in
our zone wrote. It was like the twelve days of Christmas, missionary
style: the six weeks of transfers. The sisters would sing the lines and
then the elders acted it out. it was pretty good but it was kind of lame
compared to most of the other ones. But we went first so it was all
good. After the skits we had a training from President on the doctrines
of the Nativity story. That was probably the best part. After his
training we all went into the cultural hall and ate again. They had like
a thousand pizzas, water bottles, apples, and bags of lollies. It was a
whole day thing. We got there at 9:30 and we didn't leave until about 8
pm.
It was so fun just being there with all the missionaries. Had to
say goodbye to a few close friends there. There were some elders going
home who I was pretty close to. It was weird to think I might never see
them again. I told them to facebook me so I hope to stay in contact
after our missions.
Thank you so much for all the gifts! I was so stoked! Bryson, that
is probably the coolest origami I have ever seen. I don't even know how
you fold those. Kenzie, did you get the little kangaroo necklace? Did
everything make it all the way there in one piece? I hope you all had a
great Christmas! I definitely did. It is the best time of the year. I
just love how strong the Spirit is at this time.
Our Christmas day was basically meal after meal after meal. We woke
up and did President's "snap gravity" fitness program, showered, and
did our personal studies. For companionship studies we just sang
Christmas hymns and read Luke chapter 2. We went to the Armstrong's for a
big Aussie barbecue breakfast and went straight from there to lunch at
the Gulliver's, the Samoan family. So much meat! So much good food. I
have developed a love for taro. My companion and I hadn't planned to
stay and eat there since we had another lunch just down the road a
little later, but they convinced us to stay and eat a little. Then my
companion and I left and went to the Hill's for another massive lunch.
After one small plate there I could not eat another bite. I was stuffed
to the rafters! In between lunch and dinner at the Pauga's, we went to
the chapel and played some ball, trying to get hungry again. The Pauga's
had heaps of food there as well. Bro Pauga (our ward mission leader) is
Samoan as well. I slept well last night!
This morning we went to the chapel again to play ball with a lot of
the members. It was more fun with all the people there. The other three
missionaries here aren't really big into the basketball. It's more fun
to play with a bigger group and people who can play a little bit. It was
pretty cool, I think my shot has gotten better even though I haven't
been practicing much. Jackson and Evan better watch out when I come
back. I'm going to smash you at 21. If Evan keeps growing like he has
been he should be able to dunk it by the time I get home.
I love you all! Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Elder Thieme
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