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18 December 2012


18 December 2012

Hello Everyone--Family and Friends,
 
It has been a while since I've written, but feel I must send you all a Christmas greeting.  In the Philippines they begin the Christmas season with all the Christmas decorations coming out in the stores and the playing of  Christmas music as early as October.  Because the majority of people are Catholic and Protestant, they are big on Nativity scenes.  You see or hear very little bout Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, etc.  They really love Christmas and will be setting off plenty of fireworks on Christmas and New Year's Day, especially.
 
We had a Christmas social with the Temple Presidency and all of the temple workers on Monday the 17th.  We enjoyed about 5 musical numbers--two guitar numbers, one vocal solo, and two dances, and a Christmas message by Pres Pagaduan.  It was fun and enjoyable and the food was catered and was very good.
 
On Christmas day we will have another potluck dinner with all the missionaries here on the third floor and in the building, along with the Temple Pres.  The new couple that came the first of November, Elder and Sister Freestone from Middleton, Idaho, will be in charge of the meal and program and/or games.  We'll probably have a white elephant gift exchange.  Some of the Filipinos wanted to know what a "white elephant gift" was.  We are really looking forward to this activity.
 
It hasn't really seemed like Christmas with the temperature always in the 80's.  The hard part is not thinking too much about home and not being with our families.
 
Temple work has kept us very busy lately because it is once again a school break, so large groups will come to the Patron house to do baptisms and ordinance work.  We had a lovely group from Singapore this past week.  They say the  Cebu Temple is much closer and cheaper to get to than the Hong Kong Temple.  So we are privileged to have them here.
 
Our group provided some gifts and shoes for about 80 girls in an orphanage (run by Catholic Nuns).  They were so happy and excited.  They sang Christmas songs to us and we sang to them.  The nuns are so cooperative and appreciative of what we do for the girls--they were so nice.  The orphanage was located up a steep mountain with a narrow, winding road.  We got two flat tires on the vans, one going up on one van and one coming back on the other.  It was quite an experience!
 
Our main purpose here is to do our Heavenly Father's work in the temple.  Each day I learn more things and my testimony has grown about the importance of this work and how temple work is all about families.  The saving ordinances are performed here for ourselves and our kindred dead and especially the sealing ordinance which ties families together forever.  I know the work we are doing is true and very important.  Both Lyman and I are grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord in this capacity here in the Philippines where we have learned to appreciate what we do have.  These people have so very little and yet they are a happy people.                
 
We are so grateful at this time of year for the birth of the Savior and his sacrifice for us.  We cannot celebrate Christmas without making the Savior the most important part of it.  As someone once said,  No Jesus--No peace;  Know Jesus--Know peace!  Our hope is that because of the Savior, each of us can know true peace and happiness this Christmas season and throughout the coming year.
.
 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
 
Love,
Elder and Sister Ward



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