Cold Spell

(This is Brother Pali on the Ukulele.  He and some other Polynesians here in Juneau organized a luau meal, along with Polynesian entertainment.  It we lots of fun and some of the entertainers were relatives of our YSA members.  Two of our YSA men performed a slap dance.)  
 We had been told that when the sun did come out the temperatures would plummet.  We have enjoyed some beautiful sunny days lately and yes the temperature did drop.  However it is no worse than what we have experienced at home in Utah.  Our lowest temperature has been 12 degrees.  We must step carefully as the snow has been packed into solid ice on driveways and sidewalks. 

We had a wonderful week of seminary.  Yesterday we capped it off by serving the seminary students breakfast.  While Diane and others were preparing the food, I had the students grab a folding chair and make a circle in the back half of the cultural hall.  There were about 38 students present.  We then played what I use to call fruit basket.  I changed the name to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  When each student had been given one of those names, we removed one chair from the circle.  That left one student standing alone in the middle.  That student would then holler out one of the gospel names.  Any kids with that name, and the student in the middle, would then scramble to find a different chair.  There would always be one without a chair.  If they hollered gospels then everyone had to find a different chair.  The longer the game went on the more aggressive it became.  The food was ready just in time, and no one was sent to the hospital. 

Mark Warner brought eggs and cooked them.  Donna Leigh helped cook up the hash browns.  Diane had cooked sausage and ham the evening before.  She also cut up some onions and peppers and grated some cheese.  There were some cartons of sour cream and lots of orange punch and salsa.  The kids then made breakfast burritos.  They were very appreciative and Diane received lots of thank-you expressions. 

The adult Institute class went well on Thursday.  We talked about the calling of an Apostle in the time of Christ and the calling and role of Apostles today.  We also discussed the Sermon on the Mount.  There was enough time to discuss in some depth a couple of the instances of those who are blessed. 

Thursday evening we had our monthly seminary in-service meeting.  We make it available to the outlying teachers through the church's vidyo site and also with polycom calling systems.  There are a couple that take advantage of that, but we still have some who have yet to join us.

This time of year we have found a great amount of joy going to the mail box.  There we have received wonderful cards from many friends and family.  There have been missionary Christmas care packages.  We have enjoyed each of them.  My Father's sister, Mable, sent a wonderful Christmas envelope with a Christmas letter.  Also she included some of her memories of Dad from their childhood until his death.  What a precious and much appreciated gift that is. 

Like you, our hearts have been wrenched as we read of the tragic events from New Haven, Conn.  How have we become this kind of a society?  The answer to overcoming these types of events lies in the strength of our individual homes.  Our society has not placed enough importance on the development of virtues of tolerance, love, and the true meaning of who we are, that being children of a Heavenly Father. 

Now the debates begin anew, as with each mounting tragedy.  The cries descend on us through the media of "We need Gun Control."  "We need armed officers in every school."  "We need guns off of the streets."  "We need to arm every citizen."  Our President is demanding of congress to write new laws restricting our rights as citizens.  Wouldn't a much more effective cry be "A Proclamation on the Family in every home, in every classroom, and in every prison cell"?

I hope each of you have a wonderful Christmas.  May your families be close to you.  May you feel the love of the Savior.  And may you find happiness at every turn.