Isn't the Christmas season wonderful! With the nativity event over, our lights were available to decorate our front porches. Now we "fit in" with all the lit fraternity houses on our street.

After the FHE lesson on Monday, some played games and 12 signed up for the ping pong tournament. Brenda won the "girl's side" but got soundly defeated by the young man who won the tournament. For Munch & Mingle we love the Bear Creek Country Kitchen's soup mixes. Two packages of that make a gallon of soup - enough for lunch for 16 hungry students. That's the most we've ever had on a Tuesday - and we had the same number on Friday. Singing carols and hymns afterwards - if they don't have a class - is their preferred activity.

Brenda taught both lunch lessons this week - one on Joseph and the journey to Bethlehem, and one on Christ's birth and the annunciation to the shepherds and their visit to the manger. We love teaching short scripture blocks. You can learn so much. The additional insights from Jesus the Christ - and other S&I and citation index references are also great.

Gary taught Institute twice this week - to our student in Marion on Wednesday and then our class on Thursday night. Ever creative, he had ropes as rivers and students holding up city names to identify places in the lesson - while teaching about the expulsion of the saints from Missouri. Several of our students were missing that evening but we had 32 kids at Institute that night. After the three-week Christmas break we will begin teaching about Nauvoo.

Friday evening was the Muncie YSA Branch 2nd Anniversary Party & Dance. The Branch was organized in mid-November of 2010. We saw videos of Branch events from the beginning - and also played Branch Jeopardy. We laughed watching the kids "mob dance" - everyone just out there dancing alone at the same time. They paired off on slow dances. They had a blast at this party. Missed those who weren't there. Saturday was temple day. Had lunch before we left at the Institute (the preferred gathering place)

Gary taught a good 15 minute lesson on the temple. Drove to Columbus (2 1/2 hrs), baptisms for 1 1/2 hours - including doing the work for the deceased father of one our Branch members, went to dinner at Fazloi's (all 26 of us!) and drove home. Caught the Muncie City Christmas lights

Sunday was a missionary "farewell" for one of our freshman students. Matt will be serving in the Utah Salt Lake City West Mission - Spanish speaking. We may see him once we are back home. Prelude and special musical number were 2 harpists, Valerie & Nan, performing Christmas hymns. Valerie is in our Branch. We attended her recital Saturday morning before the temple trip. Got in a little Christmas shopping this week on our one free evening. Matt asked Gary one evening, "So, is your mission pretty much like a vacation?" Guess when you love the work, the people, and who you work for, maybe it is a bit like a vacation! Enjoy your week!