Dec. 29, 2014 Happy Holidays

Hello!

I hope you all had Merry Christmas!

Irish Christmas was grand! I was sick nearly all week, so it meant a lot of resting so I could feel well for the holidays (nearly made it) It was kind of dismal for missionary work but it was rejuvenating for the soul.

Christmas Eve we went to the Hale's and we watched Its a Wonderful Life, had a steak, baked potato and popcorn shrimp dinner, and had a white elephant gift exchange :) It was really fun and I got a harmonica! It was weird at first to sit and watch a movie, but it was a good one to consider the impact of one person, even if they don't apparently do great, successful, heroic things. Its a great lesson everyone should take to heart, especially missionaries. While we were waiting for transport home, Elder Hale had a good chat with Sister Morrison, a member, Virginie, and I about insights from James E. Talmage on the Annunciation and Conception of Christ's Birth. 

Christmas Morning I got up and 6:30 and opened all the packages from parents and friends and family back home! Thank you so much to all of you who went out of your way to send me something! I loved it all! 

Christmas day was busy, and didn't go precisely as planned, but it was grand. We meant to do service at Penny Dinners, the soup kitchen in Cork, but we kind of missed the memo on buses, so instead the Kagari's picked us up and we did some service at their house :) I love getting to skype Mum and Dad ;) After service and skype and a snack, we went to the Stapleton's, where we got our first round of Christmas dinner, ham, turkey, potatoes (mashed and roasted), bacon-wrapped sausages, fried turnip, and brussel sprouts. We got to watch Frozen with their family, which was fun, being Elder Thomas, Elder Wahlquist, and Sister Morrison's first time seeing it :) Then we got a lift to the Peters' house, where we got some great Christmas Spirit! The house was so lovely and dinner was awesome, pate on toast, melon wrapped in prosciutto, clove ham, bacon wrapped turkey, mashed and roasted potatoes, stuffing, mushed peas, and we had a bit of ice cream cake before we had to skedaddle. The Peters' family tradition is to wait to open any gifts until after Christmas dinner, so after being filled with turkey and ham we got to gather around their Christmas tree and they kindly got us a few inexpensive gifts! It felt a little more like Christmas after that. I really appreciated it. Sister Hale picked us up and took us to hers so that Sister Morrison could Skype there. The elders were there skyping/watching a movie, so we watched Monsters University and had Sister Hale's chocolate cake :) 

St. Stephens Day (Irish Boxing Day) we did weekly planning and because of all the partying still going on, we're not allowed to proselyte, so we went to the Hale's in our pajamas with the elders and watched movies all day :) That never happens as a missionary, so it was awesome :) We watched Star Wars, Episode IV, Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark, National Treasure 2, and at my companion's request, Pride and Prejudice, haha :) The elders complained all the through the latter ;) Elder Thomas was so excited to make dinner for us, and he did a pro job at Chicken Cordon Bleu :) more chocolate and we headed home. 

Saturday we met with a new member of the branch from Brazil, and we cleaned the church with the elders. Elder Goldie and I attacked the library (which has been in a sad state) and betted that it wouldn't be a week before someone went in there and not be able to find what they were looking for. It wasn't even 24 hours. 

Church was good, we went to Gospel Doctrine and Elder Hale taught an awesome lesson from Abraham/Moses on the Creation, with emphasis on how it and science are compatible. I learned a lot, and laughed when Sister Morrison and I had no idea about a congregational hymn we had to do in sacrament meeting. It was a humorous mess. 

Well, I can definitely say I feel closer to the members here and to my Savior after this week. I understand more about who He was and who He is, and I am so so thankful that I have Him as a loving brother and Savior. 

I hope all of you are well and have a very happy start to a new year with hope and goals for the year ahead! I'll speak to you soon!

Love Always,

Sister Mary Ann Kirkpatrick 

Decorating the Hales' Christmas Tree

Cork District December 2014