Merry Christmas!

Dear Family,

I just wanted to take a few minutes to wish you all a Merry Christmas...

Just want you all to know that the Christmas Spirit is alive here in China! There are so many evidences of Christ's love in this beautiful country - even without Christianity!

As I have been telling my beloved students about Christmas and explaining our traditions, I can see in their eyes how they yearn for understanding. If only I could tell them about Jesus Christ, His mission and His atonement....
I pray daily that the doors will one day be open for the gospel message to be spread in China. They are ready for the gospel message and when it comes, it will spread like a fire. They are so family oriented and they have such a passion for their children! It is heartwarming to watch them with their children and see the love... And, I feel that same kind of love for them - they have such a child-like innocence! And this innocence makes me feel very protective of them.
I am talking about ALL of them - the children, my students, the street workers, the merchants, and the old people...

I was thinking the other day about what my life was like before I came to China and how "shallow" I was.
Oh, I had all of you - and you were and are, my reason to live, BUT I was doing nothing meaningful - not really making a difference in anyone's life...
Grandma Pearl used to tell me that the greatest "need" a person has, is to be needed! And, in China, I am really needed and I really can make a difference in my students lives. And they take every opportunity to express their appreciation and love to me.

You - my dear family - have your own lives and you are all busy raising your families. Dad and I are pretty much just "looking" for things to keep us occupied, at this stage of our lives.... In China, we are "needed" in so many ways.. We feel that what we are doing is really making a difference in the lives of our students. They give us their acceptance and love unconditionally. It is VERY rewarding at this stage of our lives.
We have never been so busy as we are now. And, we are always studying or going somewhere to see or help someone. The only void on our lives is YOU. We miss not seeing you and the grandchildren. It is evident when we are lonesome to talk to you, knowing that you are so far away... We miss hearing those sweet, familiar voices and looking in your beloved faces. YOU are our life.... our reason to live.

We figure this is our last "hoorah" at teaching and giving back to mankind - a payment of sorts, for the abundant life we have.
We realize every day, how we were blessed to be born in the good old USA and have all the advantages afforded us.
We know our Heavenly Father loves us and is with us daily. We can feel His love and protection.
We also know this is where we should be at this time. Sometimes we question why we are here, but sometimes it is very evident why we are here.

On Christmas Eve, as we read the story of the first Christmas, we will be thinking of you and your families.
We will be thinking of the many blessings we have and how much our Father in Heaven loves us all.
We have so much to be thankful for and we need to express to Him, our thanks.

Know that we are counting the days until we see each of you. We can hardly wait to see our dear grandchildren and received the hugs and kisses we have been missing.
May you each have the knowledge that our Heavenly Father loves you, that He came to earth to atone for our sins and that we will return to Him one day.

With All Our Love,
Dad and Mom