Short New Years Note

 Dear Family,

It's only been a few days since dad wrote, but I do have a Christmas blessing to share. About 6 weeks ago I  was given an assignment to coordinate the travel for missionaries from India to go to the temple. Most of the missionaries there have never been able to leave the country to receive their temple ordinances, and they are at risk of joining others in their country who served their whole missions without every going to the temple. There are so many reasons it's taken so long, but finally after weeks of work, false starts, a couple of rounds of hope and dashed hopes, I finally have a group of elders and sisters scheduled with the Bangkok Temple for the middle of January. Not only that, we were able to work it so a young couple who will be married that week in Bengaluru will be able to travel as the escorts for the missionaries and this will allow them to be sealed that same week, a sequence of marriage to sealing that's almost unheard of for that country. This is nothing short of a miracle and I wish you could have seen the mission presidents face when I was able to give him the news. It makes coming here worth it. Please remember them in your prayers, we need everything to stay on track. If we can navigate all the issues correctly then we will be positioned to help more groups of missionaries, and possibly returned missionaries be able to attend the temple. I grew up where we strolled up to the Provo Temple for a walk to break up the boredom of a Sunday afternoon. For people in Asia it can take an office full of attorneys spending weeks pouring over laws and regulations to make sure that members can travel legally and safely, just for the chance to go once. I just don't ever get used to that level of complexity for something that is so simple for us, but I do love shepherding their trips and helping with the paper work to make them possible! Pray for them that all will go well.

And other news, it's New Years!!!! 

This great headband was Dad's gift from our white elephant party last night. It's a Snow White's Dwarts headband which he re-gifted to our favorite little girl at church, Charisse. Her mom sent me this picture tonight saying she just loves it!! 

Our party was a senior couples New Years Party which consisted of a big ham and funeral potatoes dinner and a white elephant game. I think that one of the strangest parts of serving this particular mission is that all our friends are old people. This is a situation we've been able to largely avoid up to this point in our life, so Dad and I frequently find ourselves marveling at the median age of our social circle! But they are extraordinary people and we love them.

Tonight we walked into Tsim She Tsui to go to the park. When we emerged from our Sunday evening by the fountain where we'd been reading our books we found all the main streets blocked off and the entire area for blocks in all directions teaming with thousands of people all gathering for New Years Festivities. This picture was taken at around 6:00 p.m. and as you look down the street you can see the crowds get denser and denser till we were literally having to worm our way through them all to get home. I think this is what it would feel like if they closed the streets in downtown Salt Lake City and then emptied 3 Delta Centers and 3 Conference Centers all at once. So. Many. People.

Now as I look out my window the harbor is filling up with boats, yachts, dinner cruise ships, and sampans, all waiting for the fireworks that will start in a little over an hour. We decided to stay in tonight but depending on the report we get from others who are venturing out tonight we may join the crowds for Chinese New Year next month. But we'll have to see, the predict there will be 430,000 people out to see fireworks tonight! 

Happiest New Years to everyone!! Next year we look forward to eggnog together with at least some of you!!

Love,

Mom and Dad