Happy Holidays and a Blessed New Year to our Wonderful Family and Friends Afar,
Christmas came and went with nary a sign of brumal (wintry) trappings outdoors this year! But inside, you'll note as per the photo on the right, that our 2' mini-tree with family pics o'er head and Christmas songs ringing through our flat are all we need to make the season come alive with JOY! Lush green and HEAT abound and never stop unless you're a eucalyptus tree and it's time to shed your tired bark skin. Even while shedding, they hold their leafy heads high with full foliage. But Jolly Old St. Nicholas must need to shed his arctic outer coat when he heads out to deliver his presents in the land "down under." And did you know he uses six white boomers ( rare, white, old kangaroos) to guide his sleigh here because his reindeer can't take the terrible heat! It's true, so check it out on youtube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98fMRw1LuiU. The Aussie children have a ball with their Christmas songs, many of which are delightfully new to us. Truly, we have been surrounded by loving saints and sharing friends who made Christmas meaningful and memorable. Christmas Day the 18 Senior Missionaries who aren't local (The locals have family around.) got together with the Mission President and his wife and six "orphaned" Elders for a royal Christmas dinner supplied by all of us pitching in. We ate for hours, laughed, and felt so grateful to be a part of the Australia Brisbane mission which is seeing such success in the work. Talk about a HUGE GOAL: last December the Mission unitedly set a goal for 500 baptisms for the ABM---a large leap from last year's 364 baptisms! That was the amazing outcome for 2016's efforts. So here we are looking the year's end in the face and we have 491 baptisms so far with several more scheduled for the next few days!! Regardless, these missionaries are THE BEST and most dedicated young men and young women we've ever had the privilege of working with. Attending baptisms and supporting our young Elders and Sisters punctuates our weeks with happy celebrations. Each new member has a story to tell of their conversion which humbles us! How beautiful to consider we are all equal in the sight of our Heavenly Father and He desires only the very best for us---returning to His presence!
Dressed in their new dresses above are the sweet young African girls 💕, converts, who have just been baptized! Pictured just above are 4 Mandarin-speaking Elders from one of our two Chinese Branches. Their thumbs up indicate a great Christmas dinner has filled them up well! We fed a crowd---18 seniors and 6 juniors celebrated! 
Such fine people we have the privilege of working with side by side. As mentioned above, this is the "American portion" of all the current Senior missionaries.
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| Food for Thought: A student provided "snacks" for one of our PathwayConnect gatherings and decorated the table with this quote and oodles of healthy and not-so-healthy yummy treats. |
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| Our fantastic hardworking evening PathwayConnect class! |
More holiday spirit and fun experiences help us feel the reason for the season---the goodness of our Heavenly Father's gift to us of His Beloved Son. We know His humble birth signaled ultimate redemption for us all if we set our feet upon the path back into His presence and steadfastly take advantage of the precious opportunities to seek and follow our Savior's example. Thus, we've applied often on our mission Nephi's admonition to us in 2 Nephi 25:26---"We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." Did you know that you prophesy of Christ every time you bear your testimony? And when you keep a journal which includes your spiritual experiences, you are writing according to your prophecies! Talk often with all children of God---our own, and all whom we have interaction with, about the hope that is in us because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It truly is the "Good News" of all time and eternity.
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| At University of Queensland's Performing Arts Center we attended a remarkable Christmas festival of beautiful sacred and secular songs, "The Spirit of Christmas." It certainly brought the true Spirit of Christmas to our hearts! Rivaling the Conference center in SLC, there was a 250 voice choir, a world class pipe organ that rattled our seats, an amazing orchestra, a children's choir, impeccable bell choir, and famous Australian classical soloists including the likes of Simon Gleeson who just returned from a 3 year tour singing Jean Valjean in London and beyond! Our Christmas hearts were open and filled to overflowing! Below is Elder Yates at our Logan Ward Christmas Party making ready to present the High Priests' Musical Item, "Six White Boomers!" 'Twas a funny karaoke rendition! |
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| "Six white boomers, snow white boomers" rang through the cultural hall as the High Priests entertained us! You'd be proud to know that Elder Yates was the instigator, organizer, and director of the big production! More talents are discovered! We were invited over to a post-Christmas lunch at the Willoughby's home who are in our Logan Ward. He's the High Councilor in Logan Stake over Self-Reliance and we love this good family. They immigrated from Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002 because of the dangerous political situation. Gangs run rampant there, and no one is safe on the streets nor in their cars.   At red lights gangs, would descend on a car and break out the windows, steal purses, wallets, and more. One horrid story he told of a lady who was ascending the lift (elevator) to her office. When she got to her floor, she had been robbed and when the perpetrator tried to grab her wedding ring, it was too tight. Instead, he severed her finger, taking the ring and fleeing. Oh, how awful!! We have nothing to complain about in our neighborhoods compared to the constant fear they lived with. They love Australia  and would never go back to Johannesburg to live. But their extended family is there, so he went 5 years ago to visit his mother. He was so saddened to see that the violence and degradation have only increased! This sad story aside, the lovely lunch turned out to be a full lamb dinner with all the trimmings, topped off by a Willoughby famous waffle for dessert! It filled a dinner plate alone! Sr. Willoughby had the table beautifully set and even the menu was posted on the table!  
One of our favorite missionary jobs is holding workshops with the soon-to-be-returning missionaries as they prepare to integrate into their new lives post-mission. We take them through two classes---a goal setting class and a second class to help them recognize and utilize their newly developed skills, attributes and gifts which have prepared them for a successful life ahead. This precious opportunity allows them to reflect on what is ahead in their lives and to set goals that are in harmony with achieving their full potential. Oh, they've grown so much spiritually and in all facets of their lives. Now enjoy a quick story about Elder Zhang, the Chinese Elder between Elder and Sister Yates. He hails from mainland China and heard the gospel from a dear friend. Elder Zhang was baptized when 17 years old. He shared the gospel with his Buddhist parents, and his father was later converted and Elder Zhang baptized him. Before he left on his mission, his father was made the Branch President of a now-thriving branch in their small town.
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