Christmas 2013

We started out early this year and put up the tree on Thanksgiving.  It was like putting together a jig-saw puzzle.  Every little branch had a number and the number matched a number on the trunk.

Here is our tree all decorated.  I don't know if you can see the llamas, wise men, Peruvian hats, and stars.  We didn't have a tree last year, so we have enjoyed having one this year.  

We live in a high rise apartment building.  In our building live 3 other Mission Presidents and their families.  President Douglas and his family are University of Utah fans and we are BYU fans.  Chris their 12 year old son had this tree all decorated with Utah Ute ornaments.  One afternoon Alan and I snuck up and put these homemade BYU ornaments on his tree.  

A few days later this is what we found on our tree.

Elder Urrutia and Elder Adams decorate the office Christmas tree.

Emily and Ann Douglas came down and hung snowflakes from our kitchen ceiling for another surprise.  We have kept them up all season.  This is our only snow here in Peru.

Elder Casanova, one of our returned missionaries, stopped by to visit.  While in the President's office,  he proposed marriage to his girlfriend and gave her a ring!

                               

Panetón is a cupola-shaped sweet bread made with cured dough.  It contains candied orange, lemon zest, raisins,.and other dried fruit.  It fills the shelves in all the stores at Christmas time.  It is the Peruvian custom, to take a package of Panetón to the family you visit.  On Christmas Eve, the bread is served with a cup of hot chocolate made with spices and chocolate.

Elder and Sister Burt came over and helped us make 200 popcorn balls for the missionaries.  Notice the snowflakes.   We began our preparations for our Christmas party.

 Cheesy potatoes for 200.  They don't have frozen hash brown potatoes  here, so I got frozen french fries and cut them into small pieces.  The cheddar cheese is hard to get here too, but as you can see I got some.  The missionaries really liked the potatoes.

All of our missionaries on December 20, 2013.  Here we are at the Institute Building in Palo at our Christmas Party.
The party consisted of games provided by each zone.  Then skits by each zone, dinner, and the Nativity DVD, singing and a message from the President.

GAMES.....

SKITS......

DINNER.....

Feliz Navidad!  We are so blessed to be missionaries sharing the greatest gift of all.  The gift of Life Eternal.  Our Missionary Christmas is simple.  We share our testimonies of Jesus Christ.  Our gift the Book of Mormon.