THE CHRISTMAS SEASON

"Every trial and experience you have passed through is necessary for your salvation" said President Brigham Young.  With the season of Christmas upon us, we've been thinking this statement is something we should learn from the Christmas Story.  Jesus' birth and life are beautiful, simple and wonderful, but took place in a violent setting, full of struggles, trials, and hardships.  This helped mold Christ(" And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man".  Luke 2:52) into the compassionate Master that He is, who we need, and need to emulate.  Trials, though difficult, are opportunities for growth and are blessings.  This season, may we appreciate the magnificance of the Savior's birth, life and sacrifice for us.  May it elevate us to positive change for good. 

We are running a few days late on last week's post!  Whew!!!!  Much has happened, but we will try to catch up.  Between appointments with the Government about our permits in Grenada, appointments with the U.S. Embassy, appointments to take hospital and Senior Citizen, rest home tours, doctoring of missionaries, meetings (always meetings), preparing Sacrament meeting talks, Branch Christmas dinner stuff, Zone Christmas dinner, making little gifts for the missionaries, paying bills (it's harder here than you may think), and running to the other side of the island to do business one day.....there's much to be done that takes more time than one might imagine.  And still, we love what we are doing!!  We even fit in a fun day of playing with our friends, Dallas and Lizzy, and their adorable children, Tyt and Tag.  Love these peeps!!!

Lizzy showed us all of her favorite shopping spots!  

We went on a hike to Mount Caramel Falls and natural rock slide.  T'was a blast!!!!

Afterwards, we recieved a foot and shoe scrub to get all the muck off our feet.  These folks will do anything for a buck!  Love it!  Very entrepreneurial.  Someone saw a need and capitalized on it.

The kids were tuckered out, but the old folks wanted to hit La Sagesse Beach.  It's nice and secluded.

Kent mastering the boogie board!

Lizzy the pro!

Visited an old European tugboat that is now a restaurant.  Have to eat there sometime.

Gorgeous

Doctoring.  Eewwww!!!

Visiting the Grenada Government Hospital.  We are doing a humanitarian project which includes getting new beds for the hospital.

Ann Antoine (in the red) is in the Ministery of Health for the country.  Ann is the person we have been working with for this humanitarian project, and took us on the hospital tour.  She is a treasure!

Hospital beds that look like they are from the Florence Nightengale era.

Motorcycle Ambulance, donated from the country of Dubai.

Tour of a Senior Citizen Home

Christmas party at the Grenada Branch.  Rimble and Lou Crishock (the U.S. Ambassador to Grenada)

All we could eat Christmas soups and salads.

Sabrina and Elder Hazelett

Elder Dall and Lou

Roger with Sisters Kime and Cragun

Elder Hazlett.  Nice tie.....

Michael will transform into Santa.

Tytan

Cummings family

And then Santa showed up

Roger the elf

That's us

So funny

Don't you just love the placement of Santa's mouth?

Tyt, Lizzy, Santa, Dallas, Tag

We were invited to dinner at the "other" Smith's house on Sunday after church

This is Bro. Smith

Yep, this is Elder Smith

and this is Sista Smith

And this is Bro. and Sis. Smith.  We all ate "oil down", the national dish of Grenada.  It had things in it that I'm positive we couldn't identify.  We are learning.  Sis. Smith is a good cook, but there is no way in this world we could eat all they piled on our plates!

We hosted the Zone Christmas dinner

Elders Hazlett, Sherren, Strong, Dall, Sisters Kime, Cragun

Christmas picture of our Zone

Interesting photos for the week

Presbyterian church that was destroyed by a hurricane

A 6 inch long caterpillar greeted us one morning.  Kinda creepy...literally....

Our little friend who loves the Baltimore Ravens

Women doing their weekly washing in the river.

Cool church

Colorful home of the week

Gouyave

This cactus is absolutely stunning.

This little donkey wasn't the cutest guy around, but since it's Christmas, and Mary rode on a donkey, it's appropriate that we should give him the spotlight.  His donkey-kind helped bring forth the Christmas story that we love.

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!"