Missionary Christmas Party in Huntsville, AL

     The five zones were split into two areas for two Christmas parties/Zone Conferences this week. We attended with four other Senior missionaries  the Huntsville one and others were assigned to the Birmingham event. Zone Conference and training were in the morning and the party in the afternoon.  The Mission and Huntsville Stake provided a prime rib dinner with all the trimmings with great desserts, enjoyed by all ninety eight of us.
     A talent show put on by the young missionaries was most entertaining and everyone had a great deal of fun.  Two Sister missionaries MC'd the show and were so funny.  They brought up impromptu talent like arm wrestling(twice), missionaries competing, catching candy in their mouths and drawings for candy prizes according to which seat you were in.  They teased about "Someone seen around town a lot would be visiting later" and it turned out to be an injury lawyer posting on multiple billboards.  After everyone had a good laugh, a missionary came in wearing a Santa hat and delivered one candy cane(tossing it) to Elder Yokoo, calling him KoKo!!! One Sister shared some Rap she was working on.
     There were several ukulele songs and many piano solos that were well done. Two quartets performed and were enjoyed.   One missionary held his face in a bowl of water for over two minutes, 41 seconds, wearing swim goggles(pretty funny)  Elder Egbert recited a family favorite melodrama poem about Grandpa smoking in the outhouse, blowing up!!(It brought the house down)
     The mission showed the Disney movie, "Muana" about the legend of Maui.  After that, the missionaries played a video tribute to President and Sister Sainsbury repeating 3 Nephi 5:13, Missionary Purpose with Steadfast in Christ and singing, "Called to Serve."  They edited the tribute so each missionary was saying/singing one line.  Some of the missionaries had Santa hats on, draped in Christmas twinkling lights and a couple had on old fashioned overalls!!  It was so fun and made us all laugh at their creativity on a shoe string!!!
     Last, everyone went into the chapel and sang Christmas hymns interspersed with President and Sister Sainsbury reading the Christmas story from Luke. The Sainsbury's recited from memory "The Living Christ" back and forth line upon line and ended with Silent Night and a closing prayer.  As each missionary filed passed President and Sister Sainsbury, they received a hug and a handshake with a gift bag and a crocheted bookmark(200 hrs).  The festive gift bag had red rafia, M&M candy, kisses, a laminated copy of "The Living Christ" and a custom ordered temple recommend holder printed with the Birmingham, AL Temple, stapled shut with a poem printed on card stock.



     

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