Christmas

 Family! And Friends!

   Well Christmas was delightful! We had a mission conference on Christmas! It was so wonderful! Because our mission is so small it is one of the few missions that can have a Mission Conference! We heard a lot of wonderful things that I wrote down and of course forgot to bring with me.  However, I truly enjoyed Sister Matsumori's comments at mission conference. She talked about temples. One of the things that stood out to me personally was about the stained glass on the Washington D.C. Temple. It starts out in oranges and reds and yellows and as it climbs it changes to greens and blues and violets and then at the very top it is white. Sister Matsumori told us of the symbolism that exists as we enter the temple at ground level (oranges reds and yellows) but as we continue to go to the temple and keep the covenants that we make with the Lord and always strive to keep His commandments we change and are purified. I love it. She also told us a story about a pilot (Yes, Elder Uchtdorf would like this one.) who was flying. When he left it was a clear sky but as he was flying it became overcast, windy, and difficult to see. He was searching for something to help him navigate and he saw the St. George temple. He flew in a triangle (airplane SOS signal) until someone from the airport was able to make radio contact and help him land on the bluff. He got out of his plane and asked, "What is that building?" He was told that it was the temple. How wonderful that our temples can literally be a guiding light to many. I thought a lot about temples. i have loved living by one so close to me. The Logan Temple is so beautiful and it reminds me of what God wants for all of His children. He wants beauty and peace and joy. He wants us to have guidance both temporally and spiritually. :) God is wonderful and He is full of love and goodness. I know that all good things come from God. I am so thankful for the many wonderful good things that He has given to me; especially for my family and for my dear friends. I am also thankful for his guidance and how he directs me toward the best things..... even if sometimes they are hard. I know  with God all things are possible and that it is best to rely on Him. Proverbs 3:5-6

     Also, Toy Story 3 is so church approved. :) We were able to watch it in our theater at the Visitors' Center! Best big screen ever!   It was so fun to watch it as a mission and to laugh together and how truly wonderful to have good clean fun with so many people. What greater joy? We also got a video for Christmas from the AP's - its a DVD from our mission to the Matsumori's but it is so full of the character and love our mission has. :)  So Toy Story 3 is great and I'm glad I got to see it in the theater because I didn't get a chance to at home. God's tender mercies are so apparent in every day of life. It is so funny how much more I notice it now. I would invite everyone who reads this message to truly pay attention to how much God's tender mercies are upon us. It does take a little bit of time but it is worth the time spent. We should never be too busy to notice... which I admit I have been in the past. However, I have seen that when we take time for God and for Jesus Christ and for the Holy Ghost they take time for us. I now imagine them anxiously waiting for an invitation to be a part of our lives and to talk with us. It is wonderful when we take the time to let them in. :) I keep thinking of our old family tradition where we would go to Forgotten Carols and Michael McLean would sing the song "Let Him In" and comparing us to the Inn Keeper. How can we better Let Him in?

   I have loved this Christmas season even though it has been filled with work, teaching, and being busy. It seems like Christmas was just a blip on the screen but the reason for the season has been so much more prominent. I keep thinking about the reason we celebrate Christ's birth is because of His life, His death, and His resurrection. If there was no Easter there would be no Christmas. Christ rose again proving that He was the Son of God and that the bands of Death were broken. The wonderful miracle that we will all be ressurected, and that death is not the end. There is more than just this earthly life... and that is BEAUTIFUL!

   I am so happy for this opportunity to learn more about the Gospel, about missionary work, about the temple, and also about myself. This is truly a growing experience that I know will make me a stronger woman. I know that my Heavenly Father knew that I would need this to make me the best me I can be. I know that He wants that for me and I am glad that I chose to listen, because I already know that this will help not only me but others in my life both now and in the future. I have never been so sure of my Heavenly Father's love for His children as I am now. I want you all to know that God loves you... and so do I.

     God be with you till we meet again,

  Sister Gordon