Sister Janet Carol Howard
Illinois Nauvoo Mission
P.O. Box 215
Nauvoo, Illinois 62354-0215

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Christmas

Our fall was beautiful, I know some of these emails get confused ( in my last note it talked about the draft horses wife's  got to go home with their missionary teamsters  !!!! Yikes you need to learn to read between the lines and roll with the punches LOL.    We had a great Thanksgiving, all 200 of us!   Last Sat. we had a Christmas walk in the evening.   First we had a lighting of the big tree (I helped decorate it) then we had luminary lights down the streets and all of the visitors could go from shop to shop and hear Christmas pioneer stories -Real stories.   Then the manger pageant (really a good one, then go to the family living center for hot chocolate.  And good stuff --Really nice!!
   These last weeks I have been making big red velvet bows for all of Nauvoo (our sites), I made about 300 they only wanted me to make them so that they would match.   All fresh garlands and wreaths on everything - it is really cute.   The cast Christmas party I was in charge of was   GREAT ~!!! FUN and not boring!! . The cast through a surprise (after performance) party for my birthday and to thank me for the Great cast party. I had a nice birthday!!  .   I actually get 1 night a week to do what I want to do, meaning sew or sleep!!(This mission is not for pansies).   We are talking obedience! here.  Well last Sunday the 11th of Nov.   I got my chance to talk at sacrament meeting, WOW--I did it.  The talks are always soooo good here that I was really worried.   I talked about “Who is Jesus - The Messiah “you know it is one of my favorite subjects. I had missionaries say they had learned something and it was interesting and good!  So I feel OK about it and it is over -WHOO. I will tell you I was helped, I asked for help and I got it!!!     I started a quilt for the mission pres. and wife months ago; I can't remember if I told you about it?   The Pres. and wife have served here for 4 years and I thought they need a token of appreciation.  All of the lady missionaries made a 6 " patch and I put them together -   She cried , she loved it , It was a lot of work but I am glad we did it .   So now we are on to Christmas.   We will all have a Christmas dinner together and a Program in the Evening, it is on a Sunday so we don't have to put on Rendezvous that night!   My companion and I have a TREE!! . We have a free DI here and anyone leaving leaves their extra stuff so we all go shopping after any missionaries go home, it is a joke around here - When we leave, and we’ll leave it for someone too.   I have had some wonderful experiences with some  visitors , and I learned that Missions didn't just come to give  and help others  we really learn lessons for ourselves about life, I didn't know that I didn't know so much about life . And about people, I am glad to learn.   I think my part here was to happily help with everything,   and be the fun and excited person, they say I make people laugh--GOOD.    I've got my van all decorated with garlands and bow's  and I have squeezed in making ginger bread cookies (decorated -of coarse  for all---you know a boy and a girl holding hands  with mini  M&M's  and my sham Tort is a success ,also my Chocolate forest cake .   So I think the best coming up- besides every day at the sites and performances at night is we get to sing on the Nauvoo Temple Steps Christmas night. Last Christmas it was snowing, what an incredible experience this all is.  The horse drawn wagons still go out for tours and they are decorated with bows and everyone bundles up in quilts, I love those horses!!!  . Well I will get to really enjoy the real meaning of Christmas this year.  I am so proud of Bradley in Brazil. I am proud of all my Grandchildren and I miss you all!  
LOVE,   Sister Howard,   MOM
      PS.  I know we live in a bubble here -I wish the rest of the world was like this, we pretty much love each other!   How novel!            IT SNOWED!!